Kaldi Africa, a beverage company, has opened up shop in Lagos to become the first Nigerian roaster. Situated at Ilupeju Industrial Estate, one of the many commercial hubs in Lagos state and managed by a Public health practitioner who has worked with Red Cross, UNICEF and WHO -Dr Nasra Ali- Kaldi Africa offers Nigerians 100 percent natural coffee, tea and cocoa made entirely from locally grown coffee beans, tea leaves and cocoa.
A joint initiative between Nigeria and Kenya, Kaldi Africa limited roasts and brews export quality beans, sourced locally from the Mambilla plains in Plateau state with sophisticated and modern technology. Kaldi also occasionally sources coffee beans from Kenya and Ethiopia.
As the fourth largest cocoa producer with 14 out of its 36 states producing coffee beans, locally made roasted coffee beans are not readily available in Nigeria. While research has shown that there has been a steady decline in the production of cocoa and coffee beans since Nigeria’s oil boom in the 70’s, Africa’s largest economy still manufactures over 30,000 bags of beans.
Coffee consumption in Nigeria is on the rise and even though coffee -which is known to significantly reduce stress, skin cancer and diabetes – was not so popular in the past years, with over 37% increase in the coffee market share, it is growing into a large market as more options become available.
Nigeria is one of the prominent exporters of the beans in Africa, with over 96 percent of natural coffee beans shipped to other countries. But despite the quantity of coffee beans produced in the country, Nestle Nigeria, a major player in the Nigerian instant coffee market, which owns over 65 percent of its shares, does not source for coffee beans in the country. Instead Nestle manufactures its products in Ivory Coast. Kaldi Africa wants to challenge this status quo. Dr Nasra Ali, the Managing Director believes that with about 300 flavours of coffee and tea consumers will appreciate coffee brewed from local beans rather than imported and instant coffee.
Kaldi Africa, named after the Ethiopian goat herd who first discovered coffee, places its self at the helm of other coffee shops in Nigeria by offering Nigerians locally sourced premium coffee processed.
