| The International Federation of Interior Architects/Designers (IFI) held its 28th General Assembly in Lagos, Nigeria on the 11th and 12th of November 2017. The meeting was hosted by IFI member, the Interior Design Association of Nigeria (IDAN). IFI’s Executive Board, the members, external stakeholders and community gathered at the General Assembly. The event brought together an international group of creative leaders and experts to explore the power and potential of design for human support within the built environment in developing societies and cultures around the world. Professionals from across industries explored the 2017 IFI CONGRESS theme – World-Class Design in Regional Markets – from various regional and disciplinary perspectives through five keynote speeches: Sir David Adjaye, Principal & Founder, Adjaye Associates Prof Dr Lou Yongqi, Dean and Professor, College of Design and Innovation, Tongji University Prof Dr Carol Becker, Dean of Faculty & Professor of the Arts, School of the Arts, Columbia University Prof Alfredo Brillembourg, Co-Founder, Urban-Think Tank; Co-Chair, Architecture & Urban Planning, (ETH) Mr Kunle Adeyemi, Founder & Principal, NLÉ; Aga Khan Design Critic in Architecture, Harvard University Graduate School of Design The global event explored creativity as a transformative vehicle for economic and social development. Keynote speeches delivered by experts from across design disciplines debated the global social responsibility of the industry and plot the future of design excellence. The event also featured an art exhibition themed This is Africa and featuring renowned African curators and artists. The exhibition explored the artistic history of the continent and chart the future of African design. ECIA board members Dr Tüüne-Kristin Vaikla (Estonia) and Ms Marianne Daepp (Switzerland) took part as observer members in the IFI Congress and African Festival in Lagos, Nigeria during 9–12 November. There was elected new IFI Executive Board 2017-2019: Steve Leung, President, China/Hong-Kong Titi Ogufere, President-Elect, Nigeria
Sebastiano Raneri, Past President, Italy
Roberto Lucena, Puerto Rico
Maria Elena Salinas Ledesma, Uruguay
Kay Sargent, USA
Urmo Vaikla, Estonia
Mike Lim, Co-Opted Member, Singapore
Dorothy van’t Riet, Co-Opted Member, South Africa
. | 
