Millions of Nigerians have a cup of coffee as their morning rite. But behind the scenes, a story of neglect and waste is unfolding.
A local farmer could have cultivated every cup of coffee imported from abroad only if the enabling environment existed, unhindered by poor infrastructure, a lack of market access, and inadequate processing facilities.
Nigeria, with its vast potential for coffee, grown in over 60 per cent of the 36 states of the federation, is a beacon of hope for the coffee industry. Despite its rich legacy, the country’s coffee industry has not received due attention.
Great Local Potential trades-off with extensive imports
Adeyinka Tekina, founder of Happy Coffee, a Nigerian brand that promotes domestically grown coffee, observes: “There are two major coffee varieties in the world, which are Arabica and Robusta, and we are blessed with both.”
“22 states in Nigeria grow coffee, but 95 per cent or more of what we drink is imported into our borders, which means that most of the coffee grown in Nigeria goes to waste yearly.”
Coffee, one of the world’s most popular and widely consumed hot beverages, remains a frequently traded tropical commodity.
According to the International Coffee Organisation’s World Coffee Statistics Database, global coffee exports totalled 11.29 million bags in July 2024, up from 10.6 million in the same month the previous year.
Exports in the first ten months of the coffee year 2023/2024(October 2023 to June 2024) increased by 10.5 per cent to 115.01 million bags, compared to 104.05 million bags in the same period in 2022/23.
The data also shows that in the 12 months ending July 2024, Arabica exports totalled 82.26 million bags, up from 73.37 million bags the previous year. Robusta exports totalled 51.62 million bags, compared to the 2023 figure of 49.75 million.
Dr. Busayo Solomon Famuyiwa, the Nigeria Coffee Initiative for Sustainable Production facilitator, recalls that Nigeria’s coffee enjoyed high regard on the international market in the 1960s. However, with the introduction of crude oil, attention shifted away from agriculture, leading to the abandonment of important cash crops such as coffee.
However, he notes several studies have demonstrated that, with proper processing, coffee produced in Nigeria has the potential to be of exceptionally high quality, a fact that should fill every Nigerian with pride and confidence.
In Nigeria, coffee grows in Taraba, Abia, Osun, Ondo, Ekiti, Kogi, Edo, Plateau, Kwata, Ogun, Oyo, Cross Rivers, and Adamawa States.
Others include Benue, Delta, Nassarawa, Niger, Kaduna, Lagos, Rivers, Ebonyi and Enugu.
The world-renowned Observatory Economic Complexity (OEC) analysed Nigeria’s coffee exports and imports to understand them better.
In 2022, Nigeria was the world’s 147th largest coffee exporter, with $59.9k in shipments. That year, coffee ranked 487th among Nigeria’s export products. According to OEC, the top five countries for coffee exports from Nigeria included France ($24.3k), Egypt ($14.9k), Belgium ($10.9k), Benin ($4.77k), and Togo ($2.05k).
Coffee Production by Country – Mekko Graphics
With $3.41 million in coffee imports in 2022, Nigeria was the 120th biggest coffee importer in the world. During the same year, coffee ranked Nigeria’s 649th most consumed foreign commodity. The Philippines ($732k), Cote d’Ivoire ($716k), the United Arab Emirates ($476k), Malaysia ($297k), and Italy ($281k) were Nigeria’s main coffee import sources.
The Policy Exigency
Tekina, the national president of Women in Coffee, underlines the pressing need for a national coffee strategy.
“As a nation, we lack a comprehensive policy that protects coffee; the absence of such a policy means that coffee can come into our country without regard for local farmers or content,” she laments.
“Coffee is the primary contributor to Brazil’s GDP, much like oil is to Nigeria. After oil, coffee is the second most traded commodity globally and the second most consumed beverage after water.”
She observes that some form of coffee is present in every household. “It’s puzzling that we’re bringing coffee beans into our country when we have what’s known as “black oil” in the agricultural industry right here in our backyard.”
The entrepreneur recollects that before the nation discovered oil and ignored it, Nigeria was one of the top exporters of coffee.
Tekina also questions the country’s categorisation of coffee. “Why is coffee, an agricultural product, still under the purview of the Ministry of Trade and Investment in Nigeria?” she asks incredulously.
“Classifying coffee under agriculture would facilitate research, the establishment of a commodity board, several export opportunities, and investments.”
She adds, “We don’t have a national policy right now. That signals to the private sector that we won’t invest. So, in the past 30 years, there hasn’t been a dollar of investment in the coffee value chain in Nigeria.”
The Women in Coffee President, representing Nigeria on international coffee forums, emphasises the need to develop and promote the nation’s coffee value chain.
“Nigeria also needs to return to the African platform. I have been attending for four years, and we have not had government representation,” she points out.
“It’s crucial for Nigeria to be present in these forums to advocate for the growth of the coffee industry in Nigeria.”
The coffee magnate, who has been in the business for a decade, reflects on her entry into the industry.
“When I was in America, I had beautiful coffee. However, I also learned from my research that Nigeria grows coffee. So, why isn’t Nigeria on the coffee world map? There is a world map, and when you think of Africa, you think of Kenya and Ethiopia,” she reminisced.
“When I found out that Nigeria was growing coffee and not promoting ours, it only made sense to me that we needed to do something about that value chain, and I started in 2015.”
Notwithstanding the challenges, the coffee brand owner articulates a commitment to the industry. The potential for growth and international trade in Nigerian coffee is immense, inspiring and motivating her buoyancy.
“I have committed ten years of my life. I started with one million; our brand has done numbers,” she declares.
“I will dedicate another ten years to building the world’s strongest coffee brand out of Africa and Nigeria.
Novel approaches to the rescue
Dr. K.A. Oluyole, the Assistant Director/Coffee Programme Leader at the Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria (CRIN), elucidates the innovative strategies being employed to increase coffee production in the country.
He reveals that they devised a method for propagating robusta coffee using half-node stem cutting and developed what he describes as a socio-economically acceptable method of rehabilitating old coffee plantations with overgrown trees.
The Assistant Director highlights the provision of coffee berries, seedlings, and rooted cuttings for planting in Nigeria’s 13 major coffee-growing states through the Ministries of Agriculture.
“A coffee marketing campaign strategy has yielded positive results,” an elated programme leader declares.
Source from: 6Wresesrch
“More farmers who had previously abandoned their farms have rejuvenated or rehabilitated their unproductive farms.”
Evolving consumer inclinations
Salisu Kafilat, founder of the Nigerian coffee and tea brand Kafe Fresco, observes a dramatic change in the preferences of Nigerian coffee consumers due to factors such as disruptions in the global supply chain, unpredictable exchange rates, and the skyrocketing prices of foreign coffee brands.
“The change in consumer behaviour is reshaping the landscape of Nigeria’s coffee market, providing new opportunities for locally grown coffee to thrive,” she elaborates.
“The cost of premium imported coffee has risen by as much as 20 per cent over the past two years, according to market reports. The price increase has promoted Nigerian consumers to reevaluate their coffee choices.”
She notes that the Nigerian coffee sector, which has historically experienced low production and limited exposure, is currently undergoing a rebirth as customers increasingly seek out domestically produced products.
Untapped potential bolsters optimism for the future
Larry Segun-Lean, President of the West Africa Speciality Coffee Association, underscores Africa’s crucial role in fulfilling global coffee demands. Africa accounts for an impressive 80% of coffee imports to the United States.
He accentuates the need for Nigeria to pique Nigerians’ interest in coffee cultivation. “There is significant international interest in Nigerian coffee; some are exporting to countries such as Japan and Canada,” he hints.
With its enormous potential, the WASCA President affirms that the coffee trade is poised for growth by leveraging demand for Nigerian coffee abroad.
The untapped potential of Nigeria’s coffee industry is a source of optimism for the future. However, Industry players agree that policy support is imperative to enable small-scale farmers to flourish and infrastructure development to enhance transportation and logistics.
Additionally, they emphasise the need to open markets for Nigerian coffee, invest in Research and Development to boost coffee output and provide capacity-building programmes for small-scale farmers, extension agents, and processors to enhance their skills and knowledge in sustainable coffee production and processing.
