CLASS PROJECT ASSIGNMENT
Food & Lifestyle | Entrepreneurship & Innovation
University Student Business Idea Validation Project
👥 Team Information
Team Name: FreshTable Co.
Members: Okuboarere Franklin (210409504) | Waare Moses (210409512) | Ekpo Wisdom
(210409522)
Field: Food & Lifestyle
Location: Lagos, Nigeria / West Africa
1. Problem Statement
Millions of busy university students, young professionals, and working-class Nigerians in cities
like Lagos, Abuja, and Port Harcourt struggle daily to access affordable, hygienic, and nutritious
home-cooked meals. The overwhelming majority rely on roadside 'buka' food stalls or fast food
outlets, where food quality, hygiene standards, and nutritional value are largely uncontrolled and
inconsistent.
This problem was personally observed: walking through university campuses and office districts
in Lagos, students skip meals or eat poorly due to time, money constraints, or lack of cooking
facilities. There is no reliable, convenient, and affordable solution that bridges the gap between
home cooking and street food in Nigeria.
"I spend over ₦3,500 daily on oily junk food near campus because I have no time to cook. I
wish I could just order a proper home-cooked meal."
— University student, Lagos (personal interview)
2. Defined Customer Segment
Our target customer is NOT 'everyone'. We have identified a specific, validated segment:
• Age 18–35, living in urban Nigerian cities (Lagos, Abuja, PH)
• University students living off-campus or in hostels with no kitchen access
• Young working professionals (entry to mid-level) earning ₦80,000–₦300,000/month
• Health-conscious individuals who cannot consistently cook due to long work/school
hours
• People who distrust street food hygiene but cannot afford restaurant prices daily
This segment has a daily food need, digital literacy (smartphone users), and a willingness to pay
for convenience and trust — making them ideal early adopters.
3. Key Assumption / Hypothesis
Core Hypothesis: If we provide a subscription-based platform connecting verified home cooks
("Mama Chefs") to busy students and young professionals in Lagos, customers will pay
₦2,000–₦3,500 per day for guaranteed hygienic, affordable, and nutritious home-style meals
delivered within 30 minutes.
Testable assumptions within this hypothesis:
• Customers will trust a vetted home cook over anonymous street vendors
• A ₦2,500/day price point is affordable and acceptable to our target segment
• Home cooks ("Mama Chefs") are willing to cook commercially for extra income
• 30-minute delivery in dense urban areas (Lagos Island, Yaba, Surulere) is feasible
4. Interviews Done
We conducted 5 real interviews with potential customers across Lagos. Interviewees were
approached at university campuses, co-working spaces, and office areas.
# Interviewee Profile Key Pain Point Key Quote / Insight
1 Chioma A. 300-Level No kitchen, eats fried "I spend ₦3,500/day on
student, UNILAG, food daily snacks that don't even fill me
Yaba up."
2 Emeka O. Software dev, Long hours, no time to "I would pay ₦3k/day just to
Lekki Phase 1 cook eat home food without
cooking."
3 Ngozi B. HR officer, Worried about "Street food made me sick
Victoria Island hygiene of canteen twice. I trust home cooking
food more."
4 Seun F. Final year, Budget-conscious, "If it's below ₦2,500 and tastes
Covenant Univ. misses home food like Mama's food, I'm in."
5 Ade M. Freelancer, Irregular schedule, "I forget to eat. A subscription
Surulere skips meals would force me to plan."
5. Insights & Evidence of Demand
From our 5 interviews, 3 clear themes emerged consistently:
• Hygiene & Trust: All 5 interviewees expressed concern about street food
cleanliness. They trust known/vetted cooks over anonymous vendors.
• Affordability is key: The ₦2,000–₦3,500/day range was repeatedly mentioned as
acceptable. Anything above ₦4,000 lost interest.
• Convenience over cooking: 4 out of 5 said they would willingly pay to avoid
cooking given time constraints at work or school.
Evidence of Demand:
• 3 of 5 interviewees said they would subscribe immediately if the service was available
today
• 2 interviewees asked for a number to join a waitlist — demonstrating real intent
• All 5 confirmed they currently spend ₦2,000–₦5,000 per day on food with poor
hygiene/quality
"I would subscribe immediately. Send me the link — I'm serious. This is exactly what I've
been looking for."
— Emeka O., Software Developer, Lekki (Interview #2)
6. MVP Idea to Test
Business Name: FreshTable Co.
A WhatsApp-based meal subscription service connecting busy students and young
professionals in Lagos to verified home cooks ('Mama Chefs') in their neighbourhoods —
delivering fresh, affordable, hygienic home-style Nigerian meals daily.
How the MVP works:
• Step 1: Customer subscribes via WhatsApp or a simple Google Form
• Step 2: They choose a weekly meal plan (₦12,500/week or ₦2,500/day)
• Step 3: A vetted Mama Chef nearby prepares and delivers the meal by 12:30 PM
• Step 4: Customer rates the meal — cooks build reputation over time
Why this MVP is testable now:
• No app needed — WhatsApp is free and universally used in Nigeria
• We can recruit 2–3 home cooks in Yaba and test with 10–15 early subscribers in Week 1
• Revenue from day 1: ₦2,500 x 15 subscribers = ₦37,500/week gross
• We can validate price, quality, and logistics before building any technology