Oluwabunmi Ogunsemowo understands the financial realities of Nigeria’s event décor industry through lived experience, not theory. As a creative entrepreneur who has spent years executing high value projects that require international sourcing, specialised materials, skilled labour, and complex logistics, she has seen firsthand how limited access to finance constrains growth across the sector. Despite the scale and economic value of many décor projects, event creatives often remain excluded from formal financing structures that support other industries.
Throughout 2025, Ogunsemowo has used industry conversations, panels, and professional engagements to advocate for greater financial recognition of event décor as a legitimate and structured economic sector. She has consistently emphasised that the industry goes far beyond aesthetics, involving planning, procurement, project management, storage infrastructure, staffing, and risk.
“The biggest challenge we face is funding,” Ogunsemowo said. “Banks often do not understand the event décor value chain, even though we manage significant projects.”
Her advocacy is shaped by years of building H.O.I Events into a multi million naira luxury décor brand from the ground up. Through her work, she has delivered décor for government bodies, corporate organisations, and high profile events, while supporting local suppliers, artisans, and logistics partners. Each project contributes to employment creation and circulates value across multiple layers of the economy.
“Creatives are building businesses, not hobbies,” she explained. “When financial institutions recognise that, the industry will grow faster and more sustainably.”
According to Ogunsemowo, limited access to funding restricts innovation and slows professional development within the industry. Many event creatives struggle to invest in modern equipment, secure adequate storage facilities, train staff, or scale operations to handle multiple large projects simultaneously. Without financial backing, growth often depends on personal savings, informal loans, or short term arrangements that limit long term stability.
In response to these challenges, Ogunsemowo is actively developing structured training programs for interns and young event creatives in Lagos, Abuja, and Port Harcourt. These programs are designed to go beyond creative skills, focusing on professionalism, leadership, financial discipline, and operational structure. Her goal is to equip emerging creatives with the tools required to build sustainable businesses rather than short lived ventures.
She also highlights the central role of women in entrepreneurship and leadership within the creative industry. Ogunsemowo notes that many women run successful décor businesses while balancing family responsibilities, managing teams, and delivering complex projects that contribute meaningfully to the economy.
“Women are leading quietly but powerfully,” she said. “What we need is structure, access, and respect.”
Looking ahead, Ogunsemowo believes collaboration between creatives, policymakers, and financial institutions is essential for unlocking the full economic potential of the event décor industry. She maintains that recognising creativity as a form of intelligence and economic value will strengthen cities, expand employment, and support sustainable urban development.
“Creativity moves economies,” she concluded. “When it is financially empowered and respected, it transforms cities and creates lasting value.”