Woodhall Capital has entered into a financial advisory partnership with the Mama Cass Group, marking the start of a new phase of expansion across local and international markets.
The agreement was announced at the firm’s Honouring Series event, celebrating Adetokunbo Oguchi, the chief executive officer of MOKE Atelier, managing director of Serafina Group, and the executive director of Mama Cass Group
Mojisola Hunponu-Wusu, president of Woodhall Capital, said the mandate covers capital raising, business structuring, and cross-border growth execution.
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“We signed a memorandum of understanding to advise on the expansion of her brand, and also to advise on restructuring and expansion across borders,” Hunponu-Wusu said. “What we are doing is advising on fundraising across not only locally, but internationally.”
The event, themed “Women Corporate Evening – Honouring Legacy, Leadership and Generational Enterprise,” brought together business leaders, policymakers, and industry stakeholders to examine how African enterprises are sustained and expanded across generations.
At the centre of the engagement was the 43-year journey of the Mama Cass business, founded in 1983 by the late Charis Grace Onabowale.
Hunponu-Wusu said the company’s trajectory reflects one of the early structured indigenous food businesses in Nigeria, including expansion into the United Kingdom at a time when few local brands pursued international growth.
While reflecting on the legacy, she highlighted leadership as a key factor in its continuity.
“Adetokunbo Oguchi chose courage. She did not shrink in the face ofdiscovery or the weight of an existing legacy. She stepped forward, intentionally, to build, to evolve, and to redefine what is possible,” she said.
The advisory mandate includes support for multiple ventures led by Adetokunbo Oguchi, including MOKE Atelier and the Serafina Group, alongside the Mama Cass business.
Oguchi, the honouree, during an interview with the media, said the partnership provides a framework to transition from a family-run structure to a more formalised corporate model.
“It’s a platform and a tool to help us further structure our business, to give us direction,” she said. “This brings us into an era where we can structure things properly and get advice on how to propel the business forward.”
She added that the mandate will support positioning the business for global operations and transactions.
“To get financial advice and to position ourselves properly even in terms of global platforms, and to make sure that there’s sustainability and profitability,” the CEO added.
She further disclosed that expansion plans under the advisory include entry into the Middle East, the United Kingdom, and the United States, with funding expected to be sourced across domestic and international markets.
Beyond the mandate signing, the event included goodwill messages from Her Excellency, Engr. Noimot Salako-Oyedele, and the secretary to the Ogun State Government, Tokunbo Talabi, both underscored the importance of recognising and supporting women-led enterprises as critical drivers of economic growth and intergenerational impact.
In his remarks, Viavo Hunponu-Wusu, managing partner at BlackStone Legal Advisory, said there is a need for deliberate institution building to ensure businesses outlive their founders.
The honouree, Oguchi, also reflected on managing and expanding a legacy enterprise while building new ventures, noting the demands of sustaining an existing business while pursuing growth.
Her remarks resonated deeply with the audience, particularly on the importance of embracing fear as part of the entrepreneurial journey and choosing growth despite it.
The evening brought together an influential cross-section of corporate leaders, policymakers, and industry stakeholders, reinforcing Woodhall Capital’s role as a convener of high-level dialogue at the intersection of finance, enterprise, and culture.
