INTERVIEW! CSR should be both inward and outward – Vento Furniture Founder
His understated persona masks the passion for redefining the furniture market in Nigeria. Hasan Yiğit, the founder of Vento Furniture, as well as Istanbul Restaurant and Café, gives insights into a wholly Nigerian company whose brand presence echoes a love story with Nigeria.
I am a Full Nigerian. Everything About Me is in Nigeria
Vento Furniture is a household name in Nigeria, and at the heart of its success is an unassuming young man who prides himself as a Nigerian. Meet Hasan Yigit, who proudly declares that he is a Nigerian in spirit, body and soul. “Nigeria is home and nowhere else. I live in Nigeria with my family and interestingly, whenever I travel out for vacation, my family, especially my kids, are in a hurry to return to Nigeria.”
Hard work is a recipe for success. This much has been argued in several quarters, but for Yigit, it is a statement of fact. He argues that his modest background and determination to succeed in life were his guiding principles.
“There is no shortcut to success. I started the Vento brand in 2016 in a plaza in Jabi, Abuja. I combined two shops as my showroom where I displayed a few items. I worked hard day and night, understanding the business terrain and having at the back of my mind that once I gave quality, I would get patronage and that was how I built the Vento brand into what it is today. For us at Vento, it is about durability and quality.”
Of course, his background as a salesperson for a company in Turkey with the responsibility of seeking new businesses across the globe helped him in no small measure. He traverses over 50 countries seeking new business for his organization and, in the process, establishes business relationships.
“This experience taught me the borderless nature of trade and the importance of reaching international markets. As an export manager, I travelled to over 50 countries, gaining commercial experience that eventually led me to establish Vento Furniture in Nigeria.”
Before settling down in Nigeria, Yigit visited Nigeria on a couple of occasions at the invitation of a friend and mentor, Ambassador Ahmed Magaji, who introduced him to a couple of friends, and the rest is history. Since then, there has been no looking back for the young entrepreneur.
“What is important in business is giving customers value for money. That is the philosophy of Vento Furniture. It is not strictly a profit-making regime, there is also a place for compassion and trust. I am also conscious of the operational environment, people, culture and diversity. You must strike a balance by giving back through philanthropic gestures that impact the lives of the people. This is the trick and why Vento Furniture is where it is today.”
“The late Ambassador Ahmed Magaji was not only a guide but also a valuable friend who played a critical role in my coming to Nigeria,” he says.
“His support influenced me to embrace Nigeria as my second home. He introduced me to another friend, Hon. Faruk Adamu Aliyu, and they both helped me build a robust social and business network in Nigeria. Unfortunately, Ambassador Ahmed Magaji passed on recently. I am saddened by his death and in his honour, I am working on a hostel project for university students in his home state.”
In recent times, more and more businesses have been undertaking Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives in communities, however, this move has been interpreted in some quarters as a business strategy. Yigit disagreed, using his organisation as an example. He argues that CSR should not be seen as a business strategy, but rather as a means of contributing to societal goals towards improving the quality of life of the people.
“Charity begins at home. My philosophy in business emphasised that CSR should be inward and outward. Inward in the sense that you must offer your workforce commensurate remuneration for their services. This might sound impossible, but it is not. Most times, it is not all about the monthly take-home pay.”
He continued: “I ensured that the organisation offers educational scholarships to brilliant low-level workers, especially young girls. This is one area my wife holds dearly. She directs the CSR department of the organisation. She regularly undertakes visits to the homes of our staff. On such routine visits, where a lack is identified, the CSR department addresses it. This is my mentality on how to get the best out of your workforce. You must meet them at the point of their needs even before they mention it. Today, Vento boasts a strong 220 workforce, including master’s degree holders and a PhD holder. Interestingly, the managing director of Vento Furniture is a Nigerian.
“We also have a general group called Vento Family, where we celebrate achievements, birthdays, childbirths and many more,” he adds. “I am in the group and I use that opportunity to have first-hand knowledge of what is happening around me. I don’t rely on the reports of line managers alone. With this, we are a family and not strangers. This is important in having a vibrant and committed workforce.”
The company also provides a free meal for staff as well as health insurance coverage for staff families. This, according to Yigit, is another form of CSR.
“Currently, 150 out of our total 410 employees are accommodated, most employees are insured, and all their families benefit from private health insurance. This practice enhances employees’ quality of life, leading to happier staff.”
Many are surprised by the success that Yigit has achieved in Nigeria with Vento Furniture. He humbly explains that it is neither magic nor extraordinary. “When you believe in a nation, when you believe in a country, and when you keep investing in that country, you get the result you see today. This is the magic wand for Vento Furniture. We continually reinvest in the country.”
He also emphasised that he never focused on making money in Nigeria only to invest elsewhere or take the profits out of the country.
“That’s not my strategy; it has never been and will never be. I live here, I’m Nigerian, I love this country, and I am doing my part. I will keep doing whatever it takes,” he affirms.
This deep-rooted commitment is what Yigit credits for the enduring success of his businesses in Nigeria.
Vento Furniture recently built and donated a hostel building to the University of Abuja as part of the CSR initiative of the organisation. Adem Baba Hostel, as it is called, is in honour of his father, who resides with him in Nigeria.
“I am a full Nigerian. Everything about me is in Nigeria. My family, parents and all of my investments are in Nigeria. The Adem Baba Hostel project was conceived as a means of honouring my father who is also in love with Nigeria. He has asked that he should be buried in Nigeria at his passage. My mother is also here with me and she is not thinking of anywhere else to call home. My father loved education and I felt having his name in a great institution in Nigeria would do well for his passion for education.”
Yigit’s life in Nigeria isn’t just about business success but also about the strong family bond with the people. His sons, Ahmet Efe and Asaf Kerem, help him with his business outside of school. His daughter, Meryam, presently studying gastronomy outside the shores of the country plans to return and work at the newly established Istanbul Restaurant and Café. For him, there is no better way to tell and be a part of the Nigerian story.
The more he speaks about Nigeria, the more visible his love for the country glows. For instance, he describes Nigeria as a country rich in human resources and natural assets. He reveals that he is working on a project to establish a vocational training centre to help develop Nigeria’s skilled workforce.
“Plans are ongoing to establish a vocational training centre, to serve a feeder system for companies seeking skilled workforce in the country. This is very critical and a source of concern for me. In the course of doing business, I identified a lack of adequate skilled manpower. What I did was to recruit unskilled workers and train them to be skilled and useful to themselves. I am passionate about teaching people how to fish and not give them fish.”
For now, Yigit’s ambition for Vento Furniture extends beyond Nigeria to make it a well-known brand across West Africa. He aims to turn the brand into a leading African name. Through the Istanbul Restaurant, he also plans to introduce Turkish cuisine to Nigeria and create a distinctive culinary culture.
“By the grace of God, I have built Vento into a formidable brand in the furniture business in Nigeria with 12 branches across the country. Our world-class furniture manufacturing factory is coming up very soon. We have also recently established Istanbul Restaurant and Café, bringing a taste of Turkish cuisine to Nigeria. We also have other projects ongoing to contribute our quota to the socio-economic well-being of the country,” he concluded.
