To standardise practice, chart a new path, and strengthen professional regulation, the Institute of Professional Interior Designers and Product Inventors (IPIDPI) has been officially launched in Lagos, marking a historic milestone for Nigeria’s design and creative professionals.
With the rising demand for qualified designers, the proliferation of uncertified institutions, and inconsistent educational standards nationwide, the launch of the institute comes at a pivotal time. Its establishment seeks to address these challenges by introducing a unified national curriculum, licensing system, and structured career development pathways for practitioners in interior and product design.
The IPIDPI is created as the regulatory and licensing body for interior design and product invention in Nigeria, with a mandate to standardise education, certify practitioners, and uphold global professional standards.
It represented the next phase of a long-standing advocacy by the Interior Designers Association of Nigeria (IDAN) to professionalise the interior design industry through education, regulation, and institutional support.
The event brought together educators, industry leaders, policymakers, academicians, including Associate Professor of Architecture at the University of Lagos, Dr Nnezi Uduma-Olugu; Kenya College of Interior Design, Prof. Odoch Pido, and international design bodies under one roof to chart a new course for the profession. It also featured special lectures and discussions on themes such as education reform, licensing frameworks, and the role of design in national development.
Speaking on the significance of the launch, Founder, IDAN, Titi Ogufere, said the institute represents a transformative step toward ensuring that Nigerian designers receive the recognition, regulation, and respect they deserve both locally and globally.
Ogufere, who is also a former President of the International Federation of Interior Architects/Designers (IFI), stated that the Institute initiative is aligned with the IFI Global Education Policy and the African Council for Interior Architects and Designers (ACIAD) agenda for professional excellence, ensuring that Nigeria remains at the forefront of design education and innovation in Africa.
“That is why the establishment of the Institute of Professional Interior Designers and Product Inventors is not just timely, it is urgent.
“Before any profession becomes regulated by law, it must first organise itself. That’s what we’re doing here today. You cannot wait for government recognition before establishing a structure; you build the structure first, and then the law follows.
“This is how architecture, law, and medicine began in Nigeria. They started as self-regulatory bodies, setting standards, certifying practitioners, and proving their value to the public before being formally recognised by the government.”
Speaking also, President, Nigerian Institute of Architects (NIA), Mobolaji Adeniyi, said: “This moment signifies far more than the creation of a new professional body; it represents the emergence of a bold vision for the future of Nigeria’s design ecosystem. It is a celebration of creativity, structure, and the deep conviction that design, when properly nurtured, is one of the greatest tools for national transformation.
“As architects, we know that design is the soul of the built environment. Architecture gives form and permanence to our spaces, but it is interior design that infuses those spaces with life, character, and meaning. A building may stand tall as a structure, yet it is the interior that determines how people feel and live within it. And beyond the walls and ceilings, product inventors, from furniture makers to textile designers and lighting innovators, provide the tactile language through which these spaces speak to our emotions and our culture.
“The inclusion of education as a central pillar of this Institute’s mission is visionary. Only a few Nigerian universities, such as Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) and the University of Lagos (UNILAG), currently offer structured programmes in interior design. Even fewer have established curricula in product or furniture design. The establishment of the IPIDPI provides an institutional catalyst for expanding such programmes. It recognises that to prepare for the future, we must strengthen the pipeline of talent today, through accredited curricula, research centres, train-the-trainer models, and international academic exchange.”
