Managing Director Aframero Limited, Yetunde Oghomienor (left); Bank of Industry State Officer, Lagos. Emmanuel Egbuta; Sales and Marketing Manager, Ireti Kadaolu and Operations Manager, Blessing Okorafor during the Aframero Customers’ forum in Lagos at the weekend PHOTO: AYODELE ADENIRAN
To ensure the use of local materials to produce good quality furniture at an affordable price, a leading woodworking and furniture firm, Aframero Limited has launched a wood working academy in Nigeria.
Manager Director of the company, Mrs. Yetunde Oghomienor, who disclosed this in an interview, said the academy would improve the country’s readiness to compete in the global economy.
According to her, the ease of movement of funds, ease of movement of people especially in Europe and North America and parts of Asia can only extend to sub Saharan Africa if Nigerians have exportable skills.
She stressed that for the past decade, the firm has supported furniture manufacturers, interior architects and builders, with advice, materials and value added materials processing, as well as access to finance, but has now decided to tackle the biggest challenge in the industry, which is lack of skills.
With the launch of the academy, Nigerians, including staff of the company, she said, will have the opportunity of receiving proper training on the art of wood works.
Mrs. Oghomienor also said the academy has developed a comprehensive curriculum based on what we see the industry requires.
This, she said, includes basics like health and safety of oneself and others within the environment, correct use of tools and simple machines to more technical but critical skills like machining and machines maintenance.
Aframero, she stressed, planned in 2018 to offer more technical training classes that are relevant to the industry, which involves training at all levels from entry level or even pre- entry level where people are taught arithmetic and English required to understand basic machines to senior supervisory levels.
For the revival of the industry, she urged for the rebuilding of the foundation for the furniture industry, from the bottom to up with skills and innovations ability.
She also called for the rebuilt of the timber industry, through intentional, carefully planned; massive reforestation in order to ensure availability of timber is a basic requirement for the furniture value chain.
