In a country battling high import costs, unemployment, and a struggling manufacturing sector, one Nigerian entrepreneur has found a sustainable solution that combines art, job creation, and national pride. Aisha Yusuf Ishaku, lawyer-turned-designer and CEO of Designtactics Limited, is helping solve Nigeria’s economic puzzle by championing locally made interiors through production, education, and innovation.
According to Statista and 6Wresearch, Nigeria’s home decor market is projected to reach $1.14 billion by 2025, and the furniture segment is expected to generate $5.11 billion in revenue.
However, local producers face steep challenges, including poor access to raw materials, high importation costs, and dependency on foreign-made goods.
Determined to bridge that gap, Ishaku recently launched two new ventures: Joel’s Place, a content creation hub, and Jo-1 Residence, a boutique short-let apartment, both built and furnished entirely in Nigeria.
“Everything you see here is proudly made in Nigeria,” Ishaku told BD Weekender during the launch held in Lagos recently. “We are creating jobs, building capacity, and proving that Nigerians can produce quality just like anyone else.”
These latest additions are part of the Designtactics ecosystem, a group of businesses designed to train artisans, manufacture furniture, provide design services, and now, offer creative and hospitality solutions. For Ishaku, design isn’t just about aesthetics. It’s a strategy for rebuilding Nigeria from within.
From Legal Briefs to Moodboards
Aisha Yusuf Ishaku never planned to run a design empire. Her academic roots are in law, and she still serves as Company Secretary and Director of Legal and General Services at Faton Capital. But a childhood love for architecture lingered. Encouraged by her father to study law, she did, but never abandoned her dream.
“I’m a lawyer by training, but a designer by choice,” she said. “My heart was always in creative spaces.”
Over time, her passion matured into Designtactics Interiors, then into a full-blown group comprising a design academy, a manufacturing facility, and now short-let and content creation arms.
An Expanding Ecosystem
What started as an interior design business now employs dozens of Nigerian artisans, furniture makers, and decorators. Two years ago, Designtactics launched its factory in Lagos, where it now produces over 80% of the items used in its projects, from beds and chairs to lighting fixtures and cabinetry.
“People don’t believe we made this in Nigeria,” Ishaku told BD Weekender. “But we did. With our hands, our people, and our vision.”
Changing minds, Changing lives
Many Nigerians still view imported furniture as superior, but Designtactics is proving otherwise. “Before, we imported everything. But when I compared the quality, I realised our local materials are actually stronger,” Ishaku said. “Our people also need to believe in what we can produce here. We can compete globally, but we need to start at home.”
To that end, Designtactics Academy trains aspiring designers and artisans, creating a pipeline of talent.
Support Systems and Structural Barriers
“From day one, I believed in Aisha’s vision. Watching this business evolve from a home-based design passion into a manufacturing and hospitality hub has been incredible,” said Yusufu Ishaku, the Chairman of Designtactics Group.
Ishaku, who also serves as MD of WFP Global Investments, brings decades of financial and business management experience to the table. “There’s a lot of economic potential in creative industries like interior design,” he continued. What we need is strategic support to help scale operations and export Nigerian-made excellence.”
He noted that interior design is not just an aesthetic luxury but an economic opportunity. “Interior design creates a ripple effect, from raw material suppliers to artisans and service providers. If we invest in it as a nation, we multiply our economic growth avenues.”
A ripple effect of empowerment
For clients like Raliat Ibrahim Oyetunde, CEO of Prinsult Global Consulting, Designtactics isn’t just a design firm. “They’ve furnished my home, my office, even my children’s rooms,” she said. “And they source and produce everything locally.”
Oyetunde, who was also at the launch of the new venture, believes Designtactics is a model for national renewal. “This one business feeds over 100 families directly and indirectly. Multiply that by more local manufacturers, and you’re changing the economy,” she said.
Speaking further, she called on policymakers to maintain bans on imported furniture and promote stable policies. “If we stay the course, businesses like this will thrive, and our youth will have a reason to stay and build here.”
Mentorship and movement
The Designtactics CEO urged young designers to stay the course. “Be resilient. Stay focused. Find a mentor,” she stated. The tools are in your hand, literally, on your phone, on YouTube. Learn. Build. Start.”
Through Designtactics Academy, she continues to mentor the next generation. “It’s not just about design. It’s about national identity, dignity, and opportunity.”
From courtrooms to content hubs, Ishaku has turned her vision into a national blueprint, one that speaks of hope, hustle, and homegrown potential. “If we can make this here,” she said, “we can make anything.”
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