Leading investment and advisory firm, Woodhall Capital hosted an evening to celebrate Mrs Adetokunbo Oguchi to honour the legacy of the iconic Nigerian brand, Mama Cass and its founder, the late Charis Grace Onabowale, at a special convening under its Honouring Series initiative.

In her welcome cum keynote address at the event, the President, Woodhall Capital, Mrs Mojisola Hunponu-Wusu, said the event is part of a broader effort to preserve and evelate stories that have shaped Africa’s economic and cultural landscape.

She noted that institutions do not emerge by chance, legacies do not sustain themselves and generational impact is never accidental.

“It is built, patiently, intentionally, and often quietly, by individuals whose discipline and foresight create pathways that others are able to follow. Tonight, we honour one such pathway.”

“Growing up, the name Onabowale carried meaning. It was more than a family name, it was a reference point. It was one of those names our mothers mentioned when they spoke about resilience, about enterprise, about dignity in building something from the ground up and standing by it.

“Long before the language of “African brands going global” became mainstream, there was Mama Cass.Founded in 1983 by the late Mrs Charis Grace Onabowale, Mama Cass did something profound for its time. It took something deeply Nigerian, our food, our identity, and gave it structure, consistency, and scale. It created an experience. It created trust. And then, it went further.

“At a time when very few indigenous businesses had the confidence or framework to expand internationally, Mama Cass crossed borders into the United Kingdom. For many Nigerians in the diaspora, students, professionals, families, it became more than a place to eat. It became a connection to home. That was not just enterprise.
That was vision ahead of its time,” Hunponu-Wusu stated.

“Mrs Adetokunbo Oguchi, our honouree, did not simply inherit a business. She inherited a responsibility, one that demanded discipline, clarity, and resilience. Across decades marked by economic shifts, operational complexity, and evolving consumer realities, she has ensured that Mama Cass not only survives, but remains relevant.

“From Lagos to Abuja, where she made the bold decision to reposition and expand the business ecosystem, her leadership reflects something deeper than continuity. It reflects conviction,” she added.

In her speech, Adetokunbo Oguchi appreciated Mojisola Hunponu-Wusu for not only conceiving the honouring platform, but for insisting that “our stories be told with intention, structure, and purpose”.

“Tonight is deeply personal for me. Because while we speak about legacy, about Mama Cass, about forty-three years of an institution that has stood the test of time, what we are really speaking about is responsibility.

“The responsibility of inheriting something that already means so much to so many people. The responsibility of not just preserving it, but growing it. And perhaps most importantly, the responsibility of finding your own identity within it.”

The evening was closed with a Memorandum of Understanding between WoodHall Capital and Oguchi to advise her on the expansion and structure of her brands under the Serafina Group and Mass Cass on restructuring and expansion across borders.

Some of the guests were Ogun State Deputy Governor, Noimot Salako-Oyedele, Mr. Olatokunbo Talabi, Secretary to the Ogun State Government and family and friends of the honouree.