…As IDAN mentors fresh designers
Worried by the widening knowledge gap in Nigeria’s décor industry, the Interior Designers Association of Nigeria (IDAN) has commenced a mentorship programme for designers to help bridge the widening gap.
The programme focuses on building an ecosystem that would nurture, train and develop people with skills in interior design and pair them with experienced mentors.
This is expected to provide a springboard to enable the mentees to scale onto a successful career in the interior decor industry.
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Speaking at the opening, Jennifer Chukwujekwe, president of the association, said the initiative is a commitment to nurturing talent, fostering collaboration, and shaping the future of interior design.
“The idea behind our mentorship programme is rooted in the belief that knowledge is most powerful. Our industry thrives on innovation, creativity, and continuous learning and we have a responsibility to guide and empower the next generation of interior designers who are eager to make their mark in this dynamic field,” she said.
Chukwujekwe said the three pillars of the mentoring programme are based on knowledge transfer, personal growth and building a strong community.
Highlighting the selection process for the participants, Folakemi Oloye, chairman of the IDAN Education Committee, said the process is a transparent one that pairs mentors with mentees based on the challenges the latter has.
“We have decided to make sure that the pairing process is very transparent,” Oloye said.
Oloye said the association looks at the challenge the mentee has and pairs the person with mentors who have the strength to deal with the challenge.
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“This programme will help dispel rumours about us that we are a closed association,” Oloye said.
The design expert said that the challenge with young people is a lack of patience, adding that young people can be taught to sacrifice their time and learn in order to easily move forward and excel.
According to her, the mentoring programme will not kill individual expression and the decor industry is an art of expression; and mentoring helps to nurture the ability to express one’s feelings.
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The IDAN mentoring programme hopes to empower people to become future leaders in the interior design industry; foster innovation in mentees and enable them to remain at the forefront of design trends.
It strengthens the association by steering a sense of unity and purpose among members even as all parties learn and grow together creating positive feedback that benefits all.
