The Acting Chairman of the Nigerian Atomic Energy Commission (NAEC), Engr. Dr. Anthony Ekedegwa, has said that for Nigeria to position itself as a major player in the global technology and artificial intelligence (AI) revolution, the country must adopt a long-term energy strategy to ensure sustainable growth and competitiveness.
Ekedegwa noted that despite Nigeria’s abundant natural resources, including oil, gas and minerals, the country continued to grapple with an energy crisis that threatens its digital ambitions.
According to him, only about 61 per cent of Nigerians currently have access to electricity, while frequent power outages continued to undermine the nation’s attractiveness to high-tech industries that depend on stable power supply.
He explained that the significant gap between electricity generation and demand, coupled with persistent grid instability and dependence on expensive diesel generators, has continued to hinder development across several sectors.
“The critical role of Nuclear Science and Technology in driving Nigeria’s socio-economic development and the urgent need for the country to deliberately position itself as a leading player in Africa’s nuclear energy and technology landscape.
“Russia looks like one of the strongest prospect for a strategic nuclear power partnerships,” he stated.
Ekedegwa warned that Nigeria’s growing digital economy was constrained by inadequate energy infrastructure, stressing that the country risked missing out on the AI revolution without reliable electricity.
“As demand grows, experts warn that existing data centres are operating at a fraction of their capacity, with none currently ready to support the full scale of the AI boom. Nigerian startups are often forced to rely on computing power hosted abroad, while operators depend on diesel generation to maintain uptime, driving up costs and reducing profit margins for enterprises.
“This dependence extends further: around 80% of Nigeria’s data is stored outside the continent, linking energy reliability not only to economic growth, but also to digital sovereignty.
“Yet infrastructure alone is not enough to make the jump to the next level. Scaling digital capacity requires a workforce capable of building, operating and maintaining complex systems. This is why Nigeria has begun investing in technical talent development,” he noted.
The NAEC chairman highlighted ongoing government efforts to build the country’s digital workforce, noting that the Federal Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy launched the 3 Million Technical Talent Programme in 2023 in partnership with the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), with the goal of producing three million technology specialists by 2027.
He also pointed to innovation hubs such as the Ilorin Innovation Hub, which are supporting startups and engineering skills development across the country.
Ekedegwa said efforts were equally being made to improve electricity access within educational institutions.
“Efforts are also underway to improve energy access within the education sector. The African Development Bank has financed hybrid solar power installations at eight universities as part of the $200 million Nigeria Electrification Project.
“However, these initiatives ultimately hinge on two factors: stable baseload power and a sustainable talent pipeline. One without the other limits how far the country can go in realising its digital ambitions.”
He observed that Nigeria’s electricity generation remained heavily dependent on fossil fuels, which contribute about 80 per cent of power generation, while the balance comes almost entirely from hydropower stations including Kainji, Jebba, Shiroro and Zungeru.
“Nigeria’s energy mix remains heavily dependent on fossil fuels, which account for around 80% of generation, with the remainder coming almost entirely from hydropower plants such as Kainji, Jebba, Shiroro and Zungeru. Both fossil fuel and hydropower generation come with structural constraints.
“Despite having large crude oil reserves, Nigeria lacks the refineries to process them, thus leading to a paradox in which diesel and gasoline are imported from abroad – this can create a dependency on potential market price fluctuations.”
He added that hydropower generation is equally vulnerable because it depends on consistent rainfall patterns.
“Against this backdrop, the need for a stable and scalable baseload source becomes evident – one that can also support workforce development. This is where nuclear energy enters the discussion. Nigeria already operates a research reactor and is considering building nuclear plants of its own. Such projects typically involve long-term commitments to training personnel.”
