How I became successful in furniture making ― Lawrence Ngene

DOING business in Nigeria has never been an easy prospect, in view of unfriendly government policies, hostile environment and many attendant problems. It becomes worse when your business is manufacturing, as many in this sector of the economy have closed shops and sought survival in other areas. But this is not the case for Lawrence Ngene, the Chief Executive Officer of No Limits Furniture, based in Jos, Plateau State and he has the government in part, to thank for the change of fortunes in his business.

The business administration graduate of University of Jos who first opened his showroom in 2011 in Jos noted emphatically that the pendulum has swung in favour of the local manufacturers of furniture, adding that he foresees a bright future for the furniture business.

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He said, “The future for furniture business in Nigeria is very bright, people are beginning to see the gold mine in it. Even people who have no idea of the business are venturing into it with their money. The government too is also encouraging, like I mentioned earlier in the area of tariffs on imported furniture, but again more needs to be done by the government in the area of power, and other infrastructures as these are also a major setback for virtually all manufacturing firms in Nigeria, especially power.

Speaking with newsmen on his giant strides in the furniture business, the graduate of Business Administration from the University of Jos said the business has become a lucrative venture that now attracts many people. For him, the government, the current government has been encouraging local manufacturers by increasing the tariff on imported furniture. He hinted that local manufacturers can now compete favourably with the imported ones.

“Yes the economy is harsh, but we have been scaling through, by using these strategies; Producing a high quality furniture that can stand the test of time, making our pricing very affordable for all, bringing up contemporary and unique designs, providing sales promo during festive periods, these and many more are the strategies we use to break even in the industry,” he said.

Unlike many who delved into the business for investment sake, Lawrence Ngene was born into. His grooming for the business started at a tender age in his father’s local workshop.

“I was born into it,” he said. My dad was a local carpenter by the roadside, so during my primary and secondary school days, after I closed from school, I always headed to the workshop to help my dad. So gradually from there I developed an interest in it, and I also I was very good at drawings and paintings in school, so that was added advantage to me, because, my type of furniture requires thinking out of the box and being very creative.”