Coffee industry players are asking for a national policy and more investment in farming and processing. They warn that Nigeria is not producing enough coffee beans of the right quality and amount that local businesses need.
They said issues in farming, infrastructure, funding, and skills have held back the country’s role in the global coffee market, despite its farming potential.
The stakeholders shared their views during a four-day coffee event at Purple Mall, Freedom Way, Lekki, Lagos, from September 28 to October 1. This event marked International Coffee Day.
The event was organized by Nigerian coffee brand Everything But Coffee (EBC). It included discussions on the problems in the industry, along with tastings, brewing demos, and training sessions.
EBC Managing Director Nnenna Samuila said the company gets coffee from Ethiopia, Cameroon, Uganda, Brazil, Colombia, and Guatemala because Nigeria cannot provide enough beans that meet its needs.
"What’s stopping us from sourcing it from Nigeria? We’re not there yet. The quality is not there yet, truly. And where the quality is there, we don’t have enough," she said.
Ms Samuila pointed out that the industry’s decline is partly due to Nigeria moving away from agriculture after discovering and exploiting crude oil.
"With the oil boom came the loss of agriculture, and the death of manufacturing and the skill, the knowledge of actually growing coffee," she said.
She added that fixing the sector will take long-term investment because coffee plants take years to grow.
According to her, farmers and investors need reliable electricity, good roads, processing facilities, and market access for local production to compete well.
Princess Adeyinka, founder of Happy Coffee and Coffee Spot and organizer of the Lagos Coffee Festival, said the lack of a national policy has made things worse for the industry.
"On the government level, there is no policy for coffee in Nigeria. Nigeria needs to have a coffee policy," she said.
Ms Adeyinka pointed out that low production, poor infrastructure, and lack of investment are hurting businesses in the coffee value chain.
She said stronger government support could help boost farming, improve processing, and create jobs for young Nigerians.
Nigeria once exported coffee widely, but production has dropped sharply. This has forced businesses to rely more on beans from other African countries and abroad.
Industry players believe a national policy could give clear guidance on farming, research, quality standards, processing, funding, and exports.
Beyond production issues, Ms Samuila said increasing domestic coffee consumption could make investing in the industry more appealing.
She noted that coffee is still seen in Nigeria as an expensive or foreign drink, even though the country has a history of producing it.
"Coffee is not supposed to be this elitist thing. People forget that once upon a time, coffee was one of our biggest exports," she said.
"The more people consume it, the more we can invest in it, and it becomes a viable thing."
She mentioned that making coffee easier to access for more people could boost demand and encourage businesses to invest more in local production.
The EBC Pop-Up Week kicked off with beginner sessions on coffee. This included brewing demos, an aroma bar, roast-identification games, and tastings.
Other sessions covered chai, tea, milkshakes, coffee-making tools, and how to start and run cafés.
The final day, in partnership with 1883 Maison Routin, included a pop-up bar, blind tastings, and a coffee masterclass led by Levi Gee.
The program gathered coffee lovers, baristas, café owners, and the public as Nigeria celebrated International Coffee Day on October 1.
Drop your comment
No comments yet — be the first to drop the gist 👇