Meet Mama Bobo

Owners of Mama Bobo Africa
Region/NationBelfast, Northern Ireland
Business NameMama Bobo
OwnerHammed Obikoya
Social Media
Websitemamabobo.co.uk

Hammed ‘Hammy’ Obikoya is the founder of Mama Bobo, a Nigerian restaurant and grocery store in Belfast.

The popular restaurant became a reality thanks to £25,000 in funding from the Start Up Loans programme in 2023.

These funds allowed Hammy to purchase fridges, gas cookers and food from Nigeria as well as cover the business’ running expenses for the first few months.

Having returned home from a career as a consultant in London, Hammy and his mother Dorcas, a woman with a reputation for cooking delicious food, decided to take a leap of faith and open the first Nigerian restaurant in the city.

Hammy Obikoya - Owner, followed by Dorcas Obikoya, Co-founder of Mama Bobo

Impact of the Start Up Loan

£25,000

loan to purchase fridges, gas cookers and food from Nigeria as well as cover the business running expenses for the first few months.

People had been asking mum for a long time to open a restaurant, but we weren’t confident about taking a loan. Initially I was spending my own money, but the Start Up Loans process was much easier than I could have imagined and has allowed us to make our dream a reality. - Hammed Obikoya Founder of Mama Bobo
Start Up Loans

Mama Bobo Africa

A Nigerian restaurant owner has been amazed at just how popular traditional African cuisine has become with Northern Ireland diners. Mama Bobo Africa thriving after receiving support from Start Up Loans.



Read the Success Story