Representatives of the global design industry and Nigerian architects, interior designers and business leaders at a meeting during Design Week Lagos 2026
Global design industry leaders are exploring opportunities to deepen ties with African manufacturers and designers as rising demand for Italian furniture and interior products draws attention to the continent’s creative markets.
Executives from Salone del Mobile. Milano, the international furniture and design exhibition, visited Lagos on Thursday as part of Design Week Lagos 2026, bringing together international design representatives and Nigerian architects, interior designers, developers and business leaders to discuss potential areas of collaboration.
The visit comes as Italian furniture exports to Africa increase. Exports reached €448.4m in 2025, up 13.1 per cent from a year earlier, while Nigeria accounted for €41.6m, representing a 27 per cent increase, according to figures cited by Salone del Mobile.
Nigeria ranked as the fourth-largest African market for Italian furniture exports in 2025, underscoring its importance to international design businesses seeking growth opportunities across the continent.
First-half figures for 2026 also indicated continued demand, with Nigerian purchases of Italian bathroom furniture rising by 108.6 per cent, according to the organisation.
General Manager of Salone del Mobile, Marco Sabetta, said engagement with Nigerian designers and businesses could help international companies better understand local preferences and identify opportunities to develop products suited to different markets.
“The competitiveness of design companies depends on their ability to interpret different ways of living, cultures, and needs,” Sabetta said in a statement following the Lagos engagement.
He said discussions with the local creative community had provided international companies with new perspectives on products and solutions, while giving Nigerian professionals access to international manufacturing expertise.
The visit forms part of Salone del Mobile’s broader international outreach as it seeks to consolidate established markets and explore opportunities in emerging design economies.
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For African designers, the challenge extends beyond gaining international exposure to building production capacity, developing commercially viable products, and connecting local creative expertise with wider markets.
Founder of Design Week Lagos, Titi Ogufere, said the continent needed to translate its creative resources into products and industries rather than focus solely on visibility.
“Africa has extraordinary materials, knowledge, and creative talent. The opportunity now is to transform those ideas into products, production, and industries,” Ogufere said.
Design Week Lagos, which runs until 25 October across cultural venues in the city, is organised around the theme “Making a New Africa: From Material to Market.”
The programme includes discussions, exhibitions and engagements intended to connect designers, manufacturers and other industry participants.
During the event, Founder and Curator of SaloneSatellite, Marva Wilshire, received the Architectural Legacy Honor at the inaugural IDEA Honors ceremony. SaloneSatellite is Salone del Mobile’s platform for emerging designers.
Wilshire said her visit to Lagos had provided an opportunity to discover African talent and build connections that could help young designers develop international careers.
Salone del Mobile will hold its 65th edition in Milan from 13-18 April, 2027, bringing together furniture, lighting and other design businesses.
Source: Punch · Justice Okamgba
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