Mai Shayi Coffee

Mai Shayi Coffee is more than a cafe. Established in 2019, the company describes itself as Nigeria's first fully vertically integrated specialty coffee business, handling every stage from a tissue-culture laboratory to the cup. It grows Arabica on Plateau State soil, with around 40,000 trees, works with a cooperative of 148 smallholder farmers, and runs its own wet mill and roastery. In 2026 it was named a global finalist in the Specialty Coffee Association's Sustainability Awards, a notable achievement for a young Nigerian coffee brand.

That background is the reason to visit. Most cafes in Abuja serve imported beans; here you can taste coffee grown in Nigeria. The house coffees include the Amina House Blend, named after Queen Amina of Zazzau, with notes of berries, passion fruit, blood orange and chocolate, and a Mountain Arabica with stone fruit, orange peel, milk chocolate and cashew notes. Limited releases appear from time to time. Alongside espresso drinks, the cafes serve teas, hot chocolate and a food menu, published as downloadable menus for each branch.

This branch on Kwame Nkrumah Crescent in Asokoro opens daily from 09:00 to 20:00. The company's Abuja flagship, at 1 Margaret Thatcher Close on the corner of Queen Elizabeth Street, also in Asokoro, keeps longer hours, from 09:00 to 23:00 daily, which makes it a good choice for an evening coffee or a late meeting. A third cafe operates in Victoria Island, Lagos.

Mai Shayi suits coffee enthusiasts, remote workers who want a calm table and visitors looking for a gift: a bag of Nigerian-grown beans is a more original souvenir than most. Prices are in the mid-range for Abuja cafes. Asokoro is a quiet, leafy district of embassies and official residences, so the area is pleasant for a short walk before or after your coffee.

Nairametrics included the company's founder, Ibrahim Samande, in its 2026 feature on the owners behind Abuja's most expensive dining brands, a sign of how far specialty coffee has moved upmarket in the capital.

Asokoro lies on the eastern side of the city, close to Aso Rock, and is a short drive from the Central Business District and the National Mosque. Combine a coffee here with a morning of sightseeing in the city centre.