Businessmen in the Nigerian city of Lagos typically broker deals over cognac or champagne. But, on a sunny afternoon in the city’s upmarket Victoria Island
business district, a clutch of men celebrated with steaming
coffee that cost $114 for a three-cup brew. Jamaica Blue Mountain, the gourmet variety they imbibed, is coveted around the world for its superior quality. Ibrahim Samande, owner, Mai Shayi Coffee cafe that sold the drink, knows not everyone can afford the splurge. But he believes cachet and ceremony, and attractive spaces to enjoy a cup, will lure more of Nigeria’s 200m people to
drink coffee. Currently, Nigerians drink only a tiny amount of coffee.
Tea or
cocoa are forecast to account for close to 40 per cent of Nigeria’s non-alcoholic drink spending by 2023, as per Fitch Solutions.