Nigeria's coffee industry is facing significant challenges, including gaps in cultivation, infrastructure, financing, and technical knowledge, which have limited the country's participation in the global coffee market. Despite its agricultural potential, Nigeria is not producing enough coffee beans of the quality and quantity local businesses need. Industry operators have called for a national policy and more investment in farming and processing to address these challenges.
The stakeholders spoke during a four-day coffee activation held at Purple Mall, Freedom Way, Lekki, Lagos, from 28 September to 1 October, in commemoration of International Coffee Day. The event, organised by Nigerian coffee brand Everything But Coffee (EBC), featured discussions on the industry's challenges, alongside tastings, brewing demonstrations, and training sessions. The event brought together coffee enthusiasts, baristas, café owners, and members of the public.
EBC Managing Director Nnenna Samuila said the company currently sources coffee from Ethiopia, Cameroon, Uganda, Brazil, Colombia, and Guatemala because Nigeria cannot yet provide sufficient beans that meet its requirements. She linked the industry's decline partly to Nigeria's shift away from agriculture following the discovery and commercial exploitation of crude oil. The oil boom led to the loss of agriculture, and the death of manufacturing and the skill—the knowledge of actually growing coffee.
According to Samuila, rebuilding the sector would require long-term investment because coffee plants take several years to mature. Farmers and investors also require dependable electricity, transportation, processing facilities, and access to markets before domestic production can compete effectively. Nigeria previously exported coffee commercially, but production has declined considerably, leaving businesses increasingly dependent on beans sourced from other African countries and international markets.
Founder of Happy Coffee and Coffee Spot and convener of the Lagos Coffee Festival, Princess Adeyinka, said the absence of a coordinated national policy had further weakened the industry. She identified limited production, poor infrastructure, and inadequate access to investment as some of the problems affecting businesses across the coffee value chain. Adeyinka argued that stronger government intervention could help revive cultivation, encourage processing, and create employment and income opportunities for young Nigerians.
Industry operators argue that a national policy could provide direction on cultivation, research, quality standards, processing, financing, and exports. Beyond the production challenges, Samuila said growing domestic consumption could make investment in the industry more viable. She said coffee was still widely perceived in Nigeria as an expensive or foreign drink, despite the country's history as a producer.
The event featured various sessions, including introductory sessions on coffee, brewing demonstrations, an aroma bar, roast-identification games, and tastings. The final day, held in collaboration with 1883 Maison Routin, featured a pop-up bar, blind tastings, and a coffee masterclass led by Levi Gee. The programme aimed to stimulate demand and encourage businesses to invest further in local production, making coffee more accessible to a broader range of consumers.
Key points
- Industry operators call for a national coffee policy to address production gaps and compete in the global market.
- Nigeria's coffee production has declined considerably, leaving businesses dependent on beans sourced from other African countries and international markets.
- Growing domestic consumption could make investment in the industry more viable, according to EBC Managing Director Nnenna Samuila.
