FCMB SheVentures and JSAID Train 100 Interior Designers

In Short

FCMB SheVentures and Jenniez School of African Interior Design, also known as JSAID, trained 100 interior designers in Nigeria. The focus was financial literacy, business management, and building sustainable enterprises.

What Happened

FCMB SheVentures and JSAID ran a training programme for 100 interior designers to strengthen how they run their businesses.

The organisers said the sessions covered practical topics like structuring a design business, keeping basic records, and making informed financial decisions. Financial literacy means understanding money basics like budgeting, pricing, cash flow, and debt.

A key goal was to help participants move beyond creative work and build commercially viable enterprises. In plain terms, this means turning design skills into a business that can win projects, manage costs, and survive slow months.

FCMB SheVentures is the women-focused business proposition of FCMB. It offers women entrepreneurs access to finance, mentorship, and business development support.

Nnenna Jacob-Ogogo, Group Head for SheVentures and Impact Segment at FCMB, said entrepreneurs need more than funding to grow. She highlighted knowledge, networks, and confidence as tools that help businesses scale.

Dr Jennifer Chukwujekwe, founder of JSAID, said the programme targets a common industry gap. Many designers, she said, struggle with the business and financial side of the profession even when their creative skills are strong.

Why It Matters

For many creative professionals, growth is limited by weak pricing, poor cash flow planning, and informal operations. Training that links creative work to business fundamentals can improve sustainability and make designers more investable.

For banks, programmes like this can also expand the pipeline of small businesses that are ready for credit. When businesses have clearer records and better financial decisions, lenders can assess risk more easily.

The partnership also signals that interior design is being treated more seriously as part of the creative economy, with potential for job creation and small business growth.