Can you tell us into the world of Michael Banjo?
I was born in Lagos and I spent pretty much of my time in the UK and the other half in Nigeria, between Lagos and Ibadan. I moved back to the UK in 1998 and I have been here in like seventeen years now. I studied Business Information Technology at Manchester College of Arts and Technology and I went on to study Management at Manchester Metropolitan University.
Pretty much later in Manchester, I worked in various capacities…in terms of sales and business development. I had the opportunity to work in an environment they manufactured and supply luxury kitchens and I guess that where the interest in creativity started mainly. I was trained by the firm in terms of designs in kitchens.
I moved on from there, I guess it’s the Nigerian in me wanting to set up my own company and I set this company up in 2009/2010.
Essentially, it was me, a website and my bedroom was my office. I was working from home and the next thing was that I visited China to establish a relationship with suppliers and I went into the market place here to try and organize and get business ready, focusing on the hospitality sector, hotels, restaurants and bars and we managed to develop the business from just myself to a full team of designers here under two brands, Décor Cribs and Décor Fusion.
We offer range of services here, not just designs but branding as well as marketing and most recently, we have moved to launch in Nigeria, the brand Décor&Rainbow. It has been trending for a couple of months but it’s going to be formally launched in Lagos in couple of weeks’ time.
Can you recount the experience since you started?
Since we started, the response has been fantastic but like I said, we have not officially launched it, we have just been going out there and trading, getting some females out there doing some marketing out. On our facebook page now, there’s is about twenty thousand Likes, there is a strong interest in our service offering. I guess human beings by nature, they like new things…we are new in to town and we are also very new in the industry. This is an industry that is very young in and because we are coming in there, it’s generating a lot of interest. We are quite excited; I am personally very excited about the future opportunities in Nigeria.
What do you consider as the edge you have over existing décor designs company in Nigeria?
That is a fantastic question. Essentially, there are a lot of existing interior designs companies in Lagos, Nigeria at the moment and some of them are doing very well but the reality is that the market is still very young so, in my opinion, there is space for everyone. There is enough room for us to occupy there in term of space but in term of what makes us different, I guess it’s the international edge.
The model we have here is different in the sense that we have a team on the ground to help us execute and implement our projects in Nigeria and we also have a team here that is responsible for the creativity and the designs.
That is something no other design company in Nigeria has. That model of having that balance between an international creative team who understands, who is already working to international standards and also having that local presence in Nigeria to understand the practicalities, executing and implementing those designs. Been able to marry the two is actually essential in making a project successful. Great standards, great implementations… having the two teams, both in Manchester, UK and Lagos, Nigeria, that makes us difference.
How would you compare interior designing over there and Nigeria? We can compare because the world is actually a smaller place now. Travelling some twenty, thirty years ago was a thing of the elites but in the world of today, things have changed especially in Nigeria where there is a growing middle class which allow for more people to see the world, travel the world and essentially like things that they see abroad. So what we are finding is that what people like here are very similar to what people like here now. From design point of view, creativity is all coming together and the differences there are not huge at all.
What are the considerations you bear in mind designing for Nigeria Climes?
The considerations….two, three factors are important. First of all, you have to look at the creativity, what are you trying to achieve within the space? Space planning is international; it does not matter where you are within the world. Anywhere you are, when you want to design, you just have to make the space work.
One of the things you have to look out for is how is the regulation in Nigeria? The guide lines in term of how you manage your space and you function within the space so you have to find out what the local regulations are no matter what you are doing in terms of design. Like in the UK now, for a restaurant, we have got to have a certain numbers of toilet facilities, male and female as a ratio to the amount of seats you can have as a restaurant.
There is a regulation that guides us in terms of that. Beyond the regulation, you then start to do the layout. First of all, you have to understand the local regulations, what is existing so that it can guide you in your design.
You also have to look at challenges in terms of access to materials because there is no point working with materials which are not readily accessible in Nigeria market. That has to be factor in. And the third element that needs to be considered is implementation.
The execution of these designs. Out there, right tradesmen, contractors actually implement those designs. You have to have the values because there is no point having those wonderful designs that can’t be implemented because one, it does not meet the regulatory standard in Nigeria, two, the materials are not there for the client to have and three, they don’t have the right contractors or tradesmen to execute the designs. And yes, above all of that, one thing that has to be considered is budget but that is not limited to Nigeria alone anyway. With any design, essentially you have to consider all those elements.
How would you describe the attitude of Nigerians and people out there to interior designs?
I think from the research we have done and feedback we are getting, because the industry is still very young I am not convinced an average Nigerian sees the industry or the profession as a professional course like they would deal with architecture for instance or a lawyer. I’m not convinced the industry is recognized or perhaps respected enough and that is why I think there is a big difference there.
It’s reflected in some of the feedback we have been getting. Some of those who have been practicing say it’s a challenge to justify the fee they asking for, it’s a challenge for people to recognize the amount of work that it takes to put together design of a space where in the UK in particular, it is more recognition for the profession. There is awareness and people have accepted if I have this challenge within my space, either in hospitality or in my home that if you instruct or engage a professional designer, there will be an edge, there will be a difference there because they know more, they understand this and that is an ideal.
Our people are still disconnected but I think things will change as they begin to see more companies, great design companies and the training we are offering in Nigeria….i am hoping it will go a long way to help inform and educate people that actually this is not what you want to do today and start tomorrow if you want to do it properly….there is a lot that goes into it. If you want to go into it, there is a lot you have to learn, there is a lot you have to understand, there is a lot you have to practice and there is so much experience you need to be on top of your game. When people see what goes into training for being an interior designer, then respect will come with it.
Don’t you think cash crunch situation might be an issue even as you preparing to launch fully?
That is a very good point. The reality is despite the slowdown in Nigeria economy in the last eighteen months in the crash in oil prices, there is still growth. These things come around in circles.
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