A policy research and development organisation has advised Nigeria to strategically harness its coal reserves to benefit from the projected $650 billion global expansion in artificial intelligence.
The group, Galadiman Ruwa Center for Strategic Leadership and Communication, said urgent policy reforms were required to position the country for emerging opportunities at the intersection of energy and advanced technology.
In a memorandum addressed to President Bola Tinubu, the centre described Nigeria as a “sleeping giant” within global energy supply networks, stressing the need to unlock critical resources for economic transformation.
According to the organisation, the intensifying global race for artificial intelligence leadership has effectively become a contest for reliable and large-scale energy supply.
The founder of the centre, Dr Ja’afaru Sa’ad, explained that leading technology firms are increasingly dependent on massive, uninterrupted electricity to power data centres and next-generation computing systems.
He noted that growing concerns among global technology executives over energy sustainability have been driving renewed investments in power infrastructure to support artificial intelligence platforms.
Sa’ad said industry projections indicate that technology companies could spend up to $650 billion on artificial intelligence-related expansion in 2026 alone, surpassing the annual budgets of several developing economies combined.
He added that Nigeria, with nearly five billion metric tonnes of coal reserves, holds a significant strategic advantage that could support global energy needs in the evolving artificial intelligence era.
Sa’ad warned that persistent neglect of these resources could deprive the nation of enormous industrialisation, manufacturing, and export revenue opportunities.
He disclosed that the memorandum also proposed the creation of a Nigerian Green Energy and Chemicals Corporation to convert coal and related assets into high-value industrial and energy products, while boosting long-term national energy security.
The think tank further urged the Federal Government to reduce dependence on debt-financed growth and instead pursue sovereign economic strategies focused on activating dormant industrial assets and strengthening the country’s energy framework.
It concluded that swift and decisive action is required for Nigeria to secure a meaningful stake in the unfolding global energy and artificial intelligence transformation.