Firm decries exchange rate effect on building materials
THE Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer ( CEO) of Black Pelican Group, an interior solutions group, Michael Owolabi has decried the increment of exchange rate in the country, lamenting on its effect in the importation of building materials.
He also lamented that the exchange rate has created a major problem in the industry, noting that it discourages sellers as they dispose their products below cost price and making it a threat to customer services.
At the launching of ' Technogym', a well fitting showroom in Lagos, Owolabi urged the government to make its policies consistent and sustainable to make individuals go into manufacturing.
His words: "Government policies are not consistent, and not sustainable, when it gives wavers and it is sometimes targeted to certain industries or certain people and not so easy for everyone to get it.
“If government’s incentives and policies are consistent, a lot of people will go into manufacturing and prices will begin to come down. It's a long- term process, it's not done over night."
Commenting on the newly launched design centre, Owolabi said: "At Black Pelican, we are extremely proud and excited about what we do, which is basically, providing our clients with the lifestyle and comfort they desire to experience world- class interior finishings that can stand the test of time.
"For the past 18 years, we have continued to brace all odds and more importantly, satisfactorily met the needs of our clients. Our products are of high quality, meeting all international standards."
He noted that the idea to opening a new design centre was borne out of the “genuine desire to strengthen our operational capacity by bringing our solutions and services closer to the end- users, who have over the years believed and trusted in our professional ability to meet and supply all their interior design solution.”
Owolabi added that BPL Wellness, the business arm of Black Pelican Group that covers wellness and health is the exclusive distributor in Nigeria for Technogym, one of the wellness companies in the world.
"The Technogym centre displays an array of fitness equipment. Most of the equipment is technologically enabled, which works with the Technogym Mywellness app, so that users’ data is stored on their mobile phone.
“Once you have the app, you can just scan the QR code on your machine’s screen to login and track your progress. By enabling GPS services, the Mywellness app can track one’s outdoor fitness as well," he said.