Vocational skills remain critical for the wealth of nations and this is best achieved when it is private sector driven. In this exclusive interview, JENNIFER CHUKWUJEKWE, founder/CEO Jenniez School of African Interior Design tells STEPHEN ONYEKWELU how she is blazing trails. Excerpts
How did you become an interior decorator?
I might not be able to point to one incident now that transformed me. However, career wise and for interior decoration, it has been a gradual evolution. I never really had a passion for interior decoration. This is because my background is totally different. I trained as a geologist. One remarkable thing is that I easily get tired of interior arrangements and constantly rearrange my place. In my house, every December I completely rearrange it.
At some point friends started asking me to help them do theirs, which I usually did free of charge because it was something I enjoyed doing. But they also started suggesting I should consider doing it for a living. They persisted and I said okay, let me see how to convert this hobby into a business. I was in love with interior aesthetics but did not have any formal education for it.
So, the first thing I did was to start blogging about it. Well, I gained some traction but was not making money and soon realised the need to get some formal training and move to the next level. I did some training online and somewhere in between landed my first contract. I did it so well that nobody could have imagined it was my first job.
Why did you start this school of interior decoration?
When I decided to formalise my skillset and get certified as an interior decorator, there was no effective school of the kind in Nigeria with international recognition. Those that exist in Nigeria do not seem to be doing a great job. The people I know that have been to some of the schools come back dissatisfied wondering whether their time was well spent and how much value the got in return for their money.
I did not learn much myself after attending some of the interior decoration schools available in Nigeria and had to go online to take additional courses. Given my growing passion and the need to get some really good formal training, I continued to search online for schools and stumbled on the Certified Interior Decorators International (CID), which is the only body in the world authorised to certify Interior Decorators. I took the requisite courses and got certified.
Initially, my idea was to setup an interior decoration show room. But a thought persistently returned to me – education, education, education. It was at that point that I went to the CID. Truth be told, I wasn’t that serious about it. But a search for an interior decoration school in Africa showed that none existed that was certified by the CID. This thrilled me and I caught the bug to set up an interior decoration school, the first of its kind in Africa. I finally got certified as an approved educator. Our curriculum is in line with the Certified Interior Decorators International, Florida, which is the only approved body in the world, allowed to certify interior decorators worldwide.
Is this why your school is called Jenniez School of African Interior Design?
Definitely, our ultimate vision is to develop and produce internationally certified interior decorators and design entrepreneurs in Africa for Africa. Our syllabus and curriculum are designed to promote African themes, culture and art.
How do you source raw materials given your desire to be African?
That has been quite a challenge. But we are determined to use local materials, which abound in Nigeria. For instance, our wood is among the best in the world when it is properly processed.
What is the difference between an interior decorator and a designer?
There is a general misconception about Interior Design and Interior Decoration. To put it as simply as possible; the interior decorator adds things to a space to improve the look, while the interior designer alters the space itself and incorporates a comprehensive vision into the room that includes more than just accessories and fabrics.
I observed that the few interior design schools in Nigeria, who offered interior design certifications, were actually offering interior decoration courses as Interior Design courses. Interior Design can’t be taught in a few weeks or months, for a proper interior design course one needs at least four years to study. It is like saying you want to study Architecture in three months, which is impossible.
What are your expansion plans?
We will first expand into Lekki and Victoria Island then set sail for Ghana. Our vision is to cover the whole of Africa.
