CNN’s African Voices Changemakers Meets Two Visionary Creators Shaping Global Design

In the latest episode of African Voices Changemakers, CNN’s Larry Madowo meets Titi Ogufere and Jomo Tariku—two African designers redefining the creative landscape by blending traditional heritage with modern innovation.

Ogufere, a Nigerian design pioneer and founder of Design Week Lagos, is the first African president of the International Federation of Interior Architects and Designers. She is reshaping the African design narrative. Madowo spoke to her in Lagos about her roots and how she started out in design:

“At the time I started interior design, it was new. People didn’t even know what it was in Nigeria, and I had to go away to school in Dublin to get certified. […] We’re not trying to do the work of the architect. What we do is design spaces—the architect does more of the outside, while the interiors carry the soul and spirit of the space.”

Inspired by childhood dreams of building homes from her imagination, Ogufere was designing long before she received formal training. She tells Madowo:

“I used to see houses in my mind, and like with Lego, I’d try to arrange them. […] I loved materials, and growing up I noticed the raw materials we had—I loved the craft of it. I started using those materials—steel, metal, rattan—to create and fabricate things in these spaces. That’s how I started.”

For Ogufere, every space is shaped by culture, identity, and function:

“I think African designers, or African creators, have been creating for a long time. There’s a lot of storytelling involved. For me, I love any design that involves storytelling. And when I choose the projects I work on—especially residential ones—it’s not enough for a client to just say, ‘I have a deep pocket.’ No, I want to tell a story you can be proud of.”

In 2019, Ogufere launched Design Week Lagos, an annual festival and trade show that amplifies and celebrates African design. She explains why this was so important:

“When I moved back to Nigeria, one of the first things I did was establish the Interior Designers Association of Nigeria. It was meant to license and identify interior designers and suppliers to create an ecosystem that supports the industry. We’ve done a lot—educating the public, pushing boundaries, promoting design—but there’s still more to do.”

Ogufere is also paving the way for emerging artists through events like her April pop-up in Lagos during Homecoming Weekend. For her, it’s about celebrating artistry and culture:

“Storytelling means going back to understanding your identity and what you stand for—and tapping into local craftsmanship. I’m beginning to push for us to reimagine it today. […] I want people to rethink, reuse, and see new possibilities. That’s something I’m trying to educate on and expand as much as I can.”

Madowo also meets Jomo Tariku, a Kenyan-born Ethiopian furniture designer whose African-inspired creations stand out in a world dominated by Eurocentric design.

For Tariku, design is about more than beauty or aesthetics—it’s about representation:

“My count is about 100 of us practicing now—and that’s just in the largely Black diaspora. That’s why I started researching. […] Whenever I went to trade shows, I was often one of the only Black designers there. From my research, I found that only 0.3% of designs licensed by large companies come from Black designers. It’s very rare for us to get those opportunities, which is what led me to build my own.”

From Marvel’s Wakanda Forever to the halls of the National Museum of African American History and Culture, Tariku’s work has become part of iconic moments in modern Black culture. He reflects on what this recognition means:

“It’s a huge honor. I’ll be honest—what that museum means to me is everything. The history archived there, and the sacrifices made by so many African Americans, are the reasons I’m standing here talking about my work—and the reason my pieces are in so many museums.”

Tariku is also a founding member of the Black Artists and Designers Guild, which aims to ensure Black creatives aren’t just featured in a “moment,” but become part of the design canon. He shares his hopes for the future:

“I want you to be able to go to any city museum and see Black design language as part of the collection. The art and design world tends to be very ‘me’-focused—‘have you seen mine?’ It’s always about yourself. Hopefully, my legacy is that I made it about more than just myself.”

African Voices Changemakers airs on CNN International at the following times:

• Saturday, 24 May 2025 at 07:30 WAT and 11:00 WAT
• Sunday, 25 May 2025 at 03:30 WAT and 18:00 WAT
• Monday, 26 May 2025 at 03:00 WAT