Coffee operators urge Nigeria to adopt national policy and boost production
Nigerian coffee businesses are calling for coordinated government support, investment and a national policy as domestic production struggles to meet quality and volume requirements. Operators cited gaps in farming, processing, infrastructure, finance and technical knowledge, leaving companies dependent on imported beans.
Coffee industry operators in Nigeria are calling for a national policy and greater investment in farming and processing, saying domestic production cannot currently supply the quality and volume required by local businesses. The stakeholders spoke during a four-day coffee activation in Lagos organised by Nigerian brand Everything But Coffee to mark International Coffee Day. The programme included tastings, brewing demonstrations and training sessions.
EBC managing director Nnenna Samuila said the company sourced beans from Ethiopia, Cameroon, Uganda, Brazil, Colombia and Guatemala because Nigerian supplies were insufficient. She said quality was not consistent and quantities were inadequate where acceptable quality existed. Samuila attributed part of the sector’s decline to Nigeria’s move away from agriculture after the discovery and commercial exploitation of crude oil.
She said rebuilding coffee production would require long-term investment because plants take several years to mature. She identified dependable electricity, transport, processing facilities and market access as requirements for domestic production to compete. Farmers and investors, she said, needed confidence that these conditions would support the industry over time.
Princess Adeyinka, founder of Happy Coffee and Coffee Spot and convener of the Lagos Coffee Festival, said Nigeria lacked a coordinated government policy for coffee. She identified limited production, inadequate infrastructure and weak access to investment as problems across the value chain. Operators said a national policy could provide direction on cultivation, research, quality standards, processing, financing and exports.
They also said wider consumption could strengthen the market. Samuila argued that coffee should not be seen only as an expensive or foreign drink and that growing demand could encourage investment. The activation included coffee introductions, aroma sessions, roast-identification games, tastings, equipment discussions and a masterclass.
Participants included coffee enthusiasts, baristas, café owners and members of the public.
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