Founders Series with Mamae: Questions worth asking before the money comes

To run a food production company in Nigeria, you have to be ready to completely lose your mind” - Mamae founders.

“To run a business in Nigeria, especially a production business, you have to be prepared to be the craziest person in the room.

To run a food production company in Nigeria, you have to be ready to completely lose your mind” – Mamae founders.

These are the questions we asked the founders of Mamae Spices: Osadebe Obinwanne Chukwuanugo “Anugo Osadebe”, Christian Brain Okoli, Obieze Stacey, and Ihenacho Ikechukwu Bennett.

Why Food Production?

Do you love cooking, food, and flavour or was this a strategic decision? At what point did you realise that food production was the direction you wanted to commit to fully?

Answer – When we discovered that condiments can actually serve as a solution to a lot of health challenges that can be avoided through food. Over 70% of the condiments sold in the African market are largely inorganic, and these ingredients are harmful to our health in the long run. The health risk conditions include metabolic diseases, inflammation and hypertension. Our marketing approach emphasises on nutrition and healthy living and we are curating a movement that celebrates everyday cooking, empowers local farmers and distributors, and shifts Africa’s seasoning culture toward a more conscious, sustainable future.

What Made You Certain This Was Worth the Risk?

Answer – We got really encouraged when we received feedback from our first set of users. We carried out a product market test at various fairs at the foundational stages of the brand setup. People loved the products, they asked where they could find it in the markets and modern trade centers, some even wanted to be distributors.

What Shocked You the Most When Production Started? When Mamae Spices officially entered production, what was the most shocking reality check?

Answer – You can lose everything if the right systems are not put in place from day one. We had to rework our entire system early when we had a fire incident, luckily it was just within our very early stage. That made us a lot more meticulous in running and operating the business.

What Are the Real Challenges Nobody Talks About? Every founder story sounds clean in hindsight. What were the actual challenges you faced when you started production?

From sourcing, to compliance, to packaging, to consistency, what nearly made you give up?

Answer – To be honest, the challenges are actually vast, Food business requires a lot of expertise and meticulosity. From consistency in sourcing, to processing and mixing to packaging and marketing. Each value chain has its unique challenge.

But I would say sourcing at the time was one of the hardest nuts to crack, because we have a standard that must be maintained and consistent across all production cycles.

We have been able to identify trusted small holder and large scale farmers, agro companies and also build partnerships with major trusted agro commodity trading companies. Marketing doesn’t pose much of a challenge for us because we run a 360 media and communications agency; and product and growth marketing has been a part of the services we have offered to various clients over the years.

What Mistakes Did You Make Early On?

Looking back, what mistakes did you make in your first phase of production?

Answer – Not ensuring tight systems across all production chain and also not investing in adequate security.

What would you do differently if you were starting again today?

Answer – Much more research, wider consultations, bringing in a strong advisory board structure for more experienced insights, access and business efficiency.

Regulations, Standards & Compliance

Food production in Nigeria comes with heavy regulation. How did you navigate approvals, certifications, and standards without losing momentum?

Answer – We adopted a compliance-by-design approach from day one, formulating products to meet regulatory standards before market entry. While approvals were ongoing, we focused on pilot sales, consumer testing, distributor onboarding, and brand building, ensuring traction continued. We also worked with experienced consultants and regulators early, which reduced delays and allowed us to scale without losing momentum.

Funding, People & Execution

How were you able to raise money for the business?

Answer – We are still seeking to raise funds but so far, we have invested mostly from founders’ capital investment.

How did you find and build the right team, especially in a business where quality and trust are critical?

Answer – Nigeria is a country filled with lots of amazing talents; firstly we built our team intentionally around trust, expertise, and shared values. As founders, we combined complementary strengths, operations, product development, and brand strategy, then brought in specialists with proven experience in food safety, spice formulation, and quality control.

We prioritised people who understand local sourcing and cultural food standards, and we reinforced trust through clear processes, small pilot runs, and accountability. Ultimately, we worked closely with a reputable recruitment company that ensured we met all our requirements.

How Do You Balance Quality With Growth?

How has the acceptance of Mamae Spices been so far?

Answer – Great, we sold tremendously at subsequent fairs at an early stage, and we got into over 5,000 kitchens just within 6 months. Since then we have been able to establish an international presence as well in all countries of the Scandinavian region, with local presence in over 40 stores across Nigeria. We hope to expand in local markets, west africanmarkets and also the european and south american markets as well within the next three years.

Do you think customers fully understand what you are trying to build with the brand and the spices?

Answer – Well yes, the result and the demands suggests that, although some buy to try, we believe that a large chunk of our by buyers have understood our brand story, and main value offering as well.

As demand increases, how do you ensure that quality does not drop?

Answer – We ensure quality at scale through standardized formulations, controlled sourcing, and process discipline. Every blend follows strict SOPs, batch testing, and documented recipes. We work with vetted suppliers, run small-to-medium batch production, and maintain quality checks at each stage, from raw materials to final packaging. As demand grows, we scale capacity, not shortcuts, investing in equipment, training, and quality assurance systems to keep standards consistent.

Mental Pressure & Founder Resilience

How has the journey been so far, how are you handling the pressure to keep going?

Answer – The journey has been one of continuous learning, unlearning and re-learning. I would like to say it’s been an exciting challenge, but we are seeing progress, impact, and growth and that’s why we are encouraged to keep going.

To run a business in Nigeria, especially a production business, you have to be prepared to be the craziest person in the room.

To run a food production company in Nigeria, you have to be ready to completely lose your mind.

If you are not prepared for pressure, unpredictability, regulations, people, logistics, and constant problem-solving, then you should not bother starting.

Lastly, what does success look like for Mamae Spices?

Answer – Success for Mamae Spices means becoming a trusted household name for healthy, flavorful cooking across Africa and beyond. Millions of families choosing Mamae over artificial seasonings, measurable improvements in everyday nutrition of an average African, strong farmer and distributor livelihoods, and a scalable, sustainable supply chain. Ultimately, success is serving life in every meal, proving that great taste, wellness, and African heritage can thrive together at scale.