Furniture makers promise innovation at Abuja Housing Show ‘Building collapse indicts professionals’

AFP Furniture, maker of assorted furniture, and business division of Julius Berger Nigeria Plc and Alpha-Plus Associates, have promised to showcase the best and the latest in the furniture market during the Abuja Housing Show.

The Sales Manager, AFP Furniture, Mr Uche Uzoewulu, who spoke with newsmen in Abuja last week, said, “Because of reputation and standard you would expect from Julius Berger, we will give quality. We have products with unrivalled quality. We’ll use the Abuja Housing Show to reach out to our clients. We’ll have special promotions during the show.”

According to him, his company selects its raw materials from the finest sources.

Head of Section Mr Egon Lux who took reporters round the company’s factory explained that the company gets its high quality timber from Benin City, Edo State.

“Our concern is quality. We have a name - our customers should be happy as our workers are,” he stated.

The company with 480 workers consumes 800 cubic metres of wood and produces 5,000 doors every year.

“We can stop furniture import. Julius Berger has the biggest furniture factory in West Africa. We’re strong enough to do all furniture in Nigeria,” Lux boasted.

The company produces cabinets including home and office furniture. Most of the products are veneer.

Our reporter observed that though the primary raw material which is wood is locally sourced, the machines mostly imported.

New machines had arrived and were waiting to unpacked and mounted for work. Old ones are packed.

The most interesting thing about the factory is it is devoid of sawdust because all machines are linked to dust collector system.

AFP Furniture was founded in 1992 by management of Julius Berger Nigeria Plc.

Similarly, Alpha-Plus Associates Limited, has promised to showcase world class home and office furniture as well as aluminum products during the show.

When Daily Trust visited the company, the Managing Director of Alpha-Plus Associates Limited, Mr Ikechukwu Ijeomah said, “We’re showing our furniture and aluminum products.”

“Our doors can be fire rated. The minimum fire rating for our doors is 30 minutes. But we can manufacture for one hour, two hours. Of course, this is done at higher costs.

“We’re going to be at the Abuja Housing Show come 23rd of June. We’ll showcase our capabilities, our quality,” the Managing Director promised.

He enumerated challenges facing his company. “Every item is manufactured here. But of course, we face challenges - power shortage, funds shortage.

“Too many charges, taxes to pay, duties to pay on factors of production. You import stuff to use to manufacture, there’s high duty on them.

“There’s no way we can compete with those imported where they have cheaper factors of production.

“We have low patronage because our prices are higher. Quality is also higher but the average consumer looks at the price before thinking about the durability or quality of the product.

“Only very few discerning consumers go for quality at the first instance.

“We manufacture things that will last a long time. We apply all the international standards in our production to make sure that whatever you buy, you use it for long.”

Alpha-Plus Associates Limited produces all interior home furniture -- wardrobes, sofas, chairs, tables, beds. The phenomenal collapse of buildings both on site and during use directly indicts professionals in the built environment, a guild which is also seeking penalties for erring professionals and developers has said.

Building Collapse Prevention Guild (PCPG), a new body of all professionals in the built environment which was launched in Abuja recently observed that the phenomenon has continued because erring professionals cut corners to provide cheap construction and are never made to face penalties from either the professional bodies or governments.

Mr Barnabas Atiyaye, preterm chairman of the guild said at the maiden meeting that volunteers from the seven professional bodies in the construction industry, makes up the guild.

He named them as Nigerian Institute of Architects (NIA), Nigerian Institute of Building (NIOB), Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), Nigerian Institute of Town Planners (NITP), Nigerian Institute of Estate Surveyors and Valuers (NIESV), Nigerian Institute of Quantity Surveyors (NIQS), and Nigerian Institute of Surveyors (NIS).