Design has not been valued in Africa for decades, says Nigerian interior designer Titi Ogufere, who has launched a design week in Lagos in a bid to change that.
The inaugural Design Week Lagos is taking place in venues across the Nigerian city from 1 to 20 October. It aims to shine a light on creativity, not just in Nigeria, but all over Africa.
"Design Week Lagos aims to champion a renaissance in Africa's cultural, economic and technological ascension in design, so that it operates as a tool for conversation, development, movement and economic growth," said Ogufere.
Design should solve problems
A big issue across Africa, according to Ogufere, is that many designers produce objects that don't solve problems and instead see design as another form of art. "A lot of people design but most of those designs don't make sense," she told Dezeen. "If a design doesn't solve a problem and isn't of use to a broad group ? not just in Africa, but globally ? then I'd say it's not a very successful design."
"We're saying, we want African design to be functional."
Titi Ogufere is founder of Design Week Lagos
Ogufere believes that a new generation of designers is changing that, helping Africa to develop a more distinct design identity. She points to IKEA's Överallt collection, which features designs by creatives from five African countries, as a good example.
"All of a sudden, there's a wave and I can't explain it," she said. "At e...