Can The Local Cane Furniture Market Survive Foreign Incursion?
EGWIM PEACE
The uniqueness and the aesthetic of cane furniture have spurred its continued embrace and growing preference among Nigerians, making it important in interior decorations.
Cane furniture rooted itself in Nigerians’ homes since the primitive age. This owes to its affordability which gives it a pride of place in middle-income class’ homes where sometimes, is a stop-gap before the wood furniture come into the house.
With its popularity then, the local market flourished and many took to the trade.
The incursion of foreign products, however, in varied eye-catching designs and styles, is redefining the love for the furniture but gradually pushing local producers into the spectators’ stands.
It is fascinating how the environment perfectly cast man’s abode from the mixture of cement with sand and capping well-structured buildings with wood from timbers.
Next is the interior which with the choice of selected items, depicts the style in the home-owners. From the sofas to electronic appliances, decorations and other complimentary fittings, all are arranged to show the identity of the homeowners.
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Many sit-well with wooden sofa(ed) cushions and perhaps, wrought-iron chairs. Incredibly, wood furniture now comes in different forms and it creates utmost uniqueness and awareness on the slay use of “Cane”.
In the primitive age in Nigeria, cane chairs dominated homes interior because of the easy access to the raw materials. From the early 1900s however, and with civilization, the dominance of cane furniture’s started to wane, giving space to others like wood and wrought iron to beautify homes especially.
By 1990s, cane has been the relegated by the strong emergence of woods coming in different styles and designs.
However, by 2010, the debut of foreign cane furniture with better aesthetics, broke the stronghold of Wood furniture, and gradually returned in different styles, to compete for home interiors.
Of the three, wrought iron has taken the exit leaving homes and feasible only at the entrance where it serves as gates to houses.
Owing to the beautiful designs and the aesthetics of the cane furniture especially the imported products, it is finding its ways to the living rooms as settees and sofas, the garden and the balconies and other places of leisure in the house for relaxation.
Venturing into the cane market brought to the fore, its sustenance of the livelihood of many Nigerians who have made it a paramount line of occupation bringing to light the vast number of creativity and logs of interested personalities in the trade, both the dealers and patrons.
This is spurred by the blessed agricultural and natural ambience which Nigeria basks in the eyes of the world as one of the blessed countries who creatively engage in the making of cane furniture either for personal use or trade.
Moncafi Rattan Lounge Set
In Mende, Under Bridge U-turn Maryland, Lagos sits a very popular local cane furniture market with the artistry of weaving and making. The market daily attracts people from all walks of life to the varieties on display.
Mr Francis who has earned huge experience in the business said “The size of the market is presumably small due to the nature of the job which comes with high risk and time consuming’.
Cane furniture is not a job for lazy man owing to the attention it requires. So the number involved in the business is considerably small.
Sourcing the raw materials comes with huge risks and the funds to grow the trade is also not easy to come by.
“The distance where we get cane and wood from, the great funds put into the business, it’s so much risk. Not everyone would have the heart to occupy such amount of pressure. It also requires great form of expertise and the cost of learning with the situation of the economy is still on the high side”.
Raw materials for the cane furniture markets come from Warri in Delta state according to Francis and Jeremiah, two popular names at the Mende Maryland Cane market.
Woods serve as the frames and are gotten from areas like Ketu, Ajah and Abule Egba in Lagos. Other raw materials like Willows, Cutting knives come from Cotonou, in the Republic of Benin, a neighbouring country.
With the efforts that go into the artistry and the large booming market in Nigeria, other countries are taking to the production, coming up with different version and better cane furniture
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To Jeremiah, a local cane dealer, foreign cane cannot displace him from the market.
“Imported cane furniture do not affect ours. Based on the present economy now, people prefer to go for what’s closer to them because of cost and time of delivery”.
Mr Francis was supportive. “It depends. Those who can afford foreign go for them and the locals come to us”.
“Ours last longer and one can well be assured of safe delivery unlike parceled goods from abroad which could get damaged in transit. You’re sure of our texture” he asserted.
“Customers have easy access to us and can get their furniture as when due and also, they can reach us on any complaints or repairs. They have easy access for repairs. They can easily give us description of what they want and we make them without complaints”.
Christy, a lady seller at the popular Mende market however did not share their opinions, fearing the incursion of the imported products is threatening. “Imported cane furniture affect our business because sometimes buyers don’t trust our local made goods”.
Chineze Nwosu of HOG Furniture, Sango Ota believes foreign cane furniture sits well with both the middle income class and the upwardly mobile and therefore, enjoy more patronage.
Akando Rattan Outdoor Table and Chair
“Big companies and hotels are our main customers… the beauty of the furniture and the fact that they are imported and treated to last longer get us more patronage”.
Samuel Olumide an imported cane furniture merchandiser with Rattan Boy Furniture in Maryland, Lagos said local furniture are cheaper because they use untreated cane and wood materials which over time leads to infestation by weather and wood eating elements.
For durability, imported ones are better. ‘The all-weather rattan/bistro sets are woven on an aluminum frame so this will not be affected by the weather, rot or fade’, he said.
Warranty to patrons on their purchase and the possibility to change a damaged products within the stipulated years is also an advantage over the local contents. It buoys patronage of the imported products.
The cane furniture fits into any settings of the home or official layout. And the process on acquiring them falls basically on how financially buoyant the prospective customers are. The place and time of purchases depends solely on the customers.
Adio Adewunmi of Ola Olu Cane Furniture noted the prices of the imported furniture vary.
“The prices are determined by the materials used, the type of rattan and bistro used. Also the country where the rattan comes from, its treatment, and the designs are all factored in”.
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Dealers in local cane furniture said their prices sometimes depends on the customer and level of patronage. Prices can be negotiated but it range from N320,000 to N300,000 for a complete set,
N250,000 for Bar chairs and N35,000 for singles.
Designs of imported cane furniture that are in high demand according to Adio Adewunmi of Ola Olu cane furniture are the Moncafi Rattan Lounge Set and the Modus Bahia Furniture and Wicker set. They are the two most popular. They range from N363,000 – N375, 000 for the complete set.
Patrons are hotels and bars for their lounges.
The market also has its challenges.
Timothy Alabi, a staff of Pendar Moses in Maryland, Lagos said government inconsistent import policies are killing.
“The challenges are just the dwindling economy and government policies on importation of certain items. The policies cause delays at the port leading to huge expenses.
Another is the shrinking disposable income that has affected sales and make production more tasking.
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The uniqueness and aesthetics of Cane furniture are its attractions to most homes according to some patrons including Kayode, a Bartender.
“The lounge chairs are easy to move around and could be re-arranged. The cushions are reversible and the cover is removable and washable, and because the chair is made of plastic canes or rattan like it is called, you could actually wash it to make it looks new always”.
Dozie Okoli gave a thumb up for the products which he said adorn his house.
“The chairs looks classy than the locally made ones, the aluminum framing makes it more steady than the wooden ones’. Woods crack during dry season owing to lack of moisture, but for the rattan, you need not worry about that”.
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