By Maduka Nweke
Nigeria’s furniture export profile received a boost with the entry of Cyrus Doors and Joinery, a leading local manufacturer and installer of furniture and joinery products, into Alaro City, the new mixed-use city in the Lekki Free Zone, Lagos.
Cyrus, which plays a pivotal role in the manufacture of furniture and joinery subsector of the Nigerian building construction industry, plans to expand into the Sub-Saharan Africa construction scene and will use its new factory in Alaro City to manufacture furniture and enhance training of local artisans.
“The new facility will enhance our ability to produce doors, wardrobes, and kitchens of international standards,” said Alero Imo, the Chief Executive Officer of Cyrus Doors and Joinery. “In seeking for the perfect place to host this new facility, the choice of Alaro City was an easy one. Alaro City is not only a city with international standards, but it is also a free trade zone. For us, that is important as we now position ourselves to export to the world proudly-produced Nigerian doors and furniture.”
Launched in January 2019, Alaro City is planned as a 2,000-hectare mixed-income, city-scale development with industrial and logistics locations, complemented by offices, homes, schools, healthcare facilities, hotels, entertainment and 150 hectares (370 acres) of parks and open spaces. Alaro City is a partnership between Rendeavour, Africa’s largest new city builder and Lagos State, the economic and financial nerve centre of Nigeria. Over 3.5km of initial road networks and a modular 50MVA power plant are under construction. Already about 40 companies are operational or in various stages of building their facilities in the city. Among the pioneering companies in Alaro City is Starium FZE, a subsidiary of BUA Group, Mantrac Caterpillar, Ariel Foods FZE, the largest and most technically advanced ready-to-eat therapeutic foods producer in Africa, and HMD.
Ayo Gbeleyi, Chairman of Alaro City, said the growth of Nigeria’s export profile was critical to economic development and commended the Lagos State Government for playing a leading role in this by building and sustaining the partnerships with the private sector to give birth to Alaro City. “It is heart-warming to see that Nigerian furniture will be exported as Cyrus Doors and Joinery to join an elite group of businesses in Alaro City that are making history in diversifying Nigeria’s economy and boosting the nation’s manufacturing and export profile.