Nigeria could tap into the projected $650 billion global artificial intelligence (AI) expansion by strategically developing its coal reserves, a strategic policy and national development research organisation has said.
The Galadiman Ruwa Center for Strategic Leadership and Communication made the submission in an open memo to President Bola Tinubu, urging urgent policy action to position the country within emerging energy–technology value chains.
Speaking on the memo on Monday in Zaria, the centre’s founder, Dr Ja’afaru Sa’ad, said competition for AI dominance was increasingly becoming an energy-driven race, as major technology firms require large-scale, stable electricity supply to power data centres and high-performance computing systems.
He said concerns among global technology leaders about sustainable power for AI infrastructure were growing, citing industry discussions linked to Google and Meta’s expanding investments in the sector.
Sa’ad noted that technology firms were projected to spend about $650 billion on AI expansion in 2026 alone — an amount he said exceeded the annual national budgets of several developing economies.
According to him, Nigeria’s estimated coal reserves of nearly five billion metric tonnes present a strategic opportunity to participate in the evolving global energy ecosystem supporting AI development.
He warned that continued underutilisation of the resource could result in significant long-term losses in industrialisation, manufacturing growth and energy value-chain opportunities across domestic and export markets.
The centre proposed the establishment of a Nigerian Green Energy and Chemicals Corporation to transform coal and related resources into higher-value energy and industrial products, aimed at strengthening national energy security and industrial competitiveness.
Sa’ad also called for reduced reliance on debt-driven growth strategies and urged the adoption of what he described as sovereign economic engineering focused on unlocking dormant industrial assets.
“The global economy is undergoing structural shifts driven by energy and artificial intelligence. Nigeria must act decisively or risk missing defining industrial transformation opportunities,” he said.
