Shows like Dragon’s Den are popular for the manner in which they help simplify business. For the entrepreneurs pitching their businesses, the show primarily serves two purposes- an opportunity to raise capital and potentially benefit from the contacts and mentorship of the Dragons, and the opportunity to build awareness around their business profiles. This combined with the current expansion of Nigerian culture into the Western world makes the appearance of a Nigerian Mother-Son led business on the British franchise of Dragon’s Den an enlightening watch.
On the most recent season of the show, we witnessed a London based Nigerian Mother-Son partnership seek investment in their food business, ‘Jollof Box’. Mathew Omeye-Howell and his mother Sade sought a £75,000 investment to help expand their Nigerian food brand from their Spitalfields pop up site offering a 15% equity stake as consideration. Clad in traditional attire and armed with a talking drum, the duo enter the den with a bang before going on to pitch the business and offer a taste of their food to the Dragons who receive it well. There’s a particularly funny scene when Touker Suleyman asks to taste their hot sauce and finds himself feeling the burn.
Watch the video below and find out if the Dragons end up dropping the cash.