By Hassan Hussain
The Association of Party and Event Rentals Professionals in Abuja, APERA, has called for greater professionalism, standardisation and collaboration among operators in Nigeria’s event rental industry to ensure sustainability and credibility.
The President of the Association, Mrs. Olubunmi Eji, made the call in Abuja during a media briefing ahead of the association’s inaugural conference and Annual General Meeting.
Mrs. Eji said the event rental industry remains a vital component of Nigeria’s events ecosystem but has for too long operated without adequate structure, shared standards and collective representation.
She said APERA was established to unite rental businesses, promote professional standards and provide members with access to knowledge, technology and opportunities for business growth.
“We are building businesses, raising standards, strengthening a community and creating an industry that can stand stronger together,” she said.
The APERA President explained that the association’s inaugural conference is anchored on five key pillars: Structure, Standards, Scale, Collaboration and Transformation, which she described as the direction the industry must take to remain competitive.
Mrs. Eji noted that rental businesses make heavy investments in equipment, warehouses, logistics, manpower, maintenance and service delivery, and contribute significantly to job creation and the wider economy.
She also disclosed that the association commenced its conference week with a Corporate Social Responsibility, CSR, outreach to four healthcare facilities in Abuja, describing the initiative as a demonstration of APERA’s commitment to giving back to society.
According to her, the inaugural AGM, APERA Conference 1.0 and Dinner will hold on Tuesday at Space and Function Event Centre, Wuse, Abuja.
She called on members, government, financial institutions, sister associations, event professionals, corporate organisations and the media to support efforts to build a more professional, recognised and sustainable event rental industry in Nigeria.
Also speaking, the Chief Whip of the Association, Mrs. Chekwubechukwu Edomwande, said continuous professional training and the adoption of technology are essential to eliminating quackery in the event rental business.
She said APERA has organised several training programmes for its members, including sessions on Artificial Intelligence and other emerging technologies, to equip practitioners with the skills required to remain relevant in a rapidly changing world.
Mrs. Edomwande explained that a major focus of the ongoing conference is how technology can be effectively applied to rental businesses, noting that embracing innovation will help members improve operations and compete favourably.
On the challenge of quackery, she said the association has established hubs where members are enlightened, trained and guided on professional standards and best practices.
She, however, noted that while the association could do little about non-members, clients would be able to distinguish between professionals and quacks by patronising registered APERA members.
Mrs. Edomwande expressed optimism that as the association expands and its membership grows across Abuja, the influence of unprofessional operators would gradually reduce, leading to a more organised and credible event rental industry.
