By ebosele@hotmail.com –
The Federal Government has pledged its support for the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS) to harness Nigeria’s Orange Economy as a catalyst for job creation, entrepreneurship, economic diversification and sustainable prosperity.
The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, made the commitment on Tuesday in Abuja when the Director-General of NIPSS, Prof. Ayo Omotayo, led a delegation from the Institute on a courtesy visit to discuss the Senior Executive Course 48 research and plans for a National Summit and Exhibition on the Orange Economy.
Idris commended NIPSS for selecting the Orange Economy as the focus of its research, describing the sector as a major opportunity for economic diversification, youth employment and sustainable development.
“I want to commend NIPSS for this initiative of examining the Orange Economy and entrepreneurship for sustainable development,” the Minister said.
He assured the delegation that the Ministry and its agencies would support the Institute’s research and proposed summit, stressing that effective communication would be crucial to showcasing the opportunities in Nigeria’s creative economy to citizens and the international community.
“This Ministry is essentially about taking information to the public and taking it back from the public. It is a two-way thing,” he said.
The Minister also highlighted the role of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), with its extensive nationwide presence, in gathering feedback on the views, concerns and aspirations of Nigerians at the grassroots.
According to him, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration remains committed to listening to citizens and making necessary adjustments to policies and programmes in the national interest.
“The first question the President asks whenever I sit with him is: ‘What are Nigerians saying?’” Idris said.
He further assured NIPSS that the Ministry would designate an official to work with the Institute to strengthen coordination and facilitate effective collaboration as preparations for the summit progress.
Earlier, Omotayo said NIPSS was seeking the Ministry’s partnership for its research and the proposed national summit, which would explore the capacity of the Orange Economy to contribute to Nigeria’s economic transformation and the ambition of building a trillion-dollar economy.
He disclosed that participants of Senior Executive Course 48 had conducted research visits across Nigeria and several countries to examine how creative industries were being developed and leveraged for economic growth.
According to him, the proposed summit would bring together government representatives, creatives, entrepreneurs, investors and other stakeholders to explore opportunities across the sector.
“The Orange Economy is a very huge sector. We have identified about 48 subdivisions, and we believe the summit will bring out the potentials in every sector,” Omotayo said.
The NIPSS Director-General stressed that the sector had significant potential to address youth unemployment and create new opportunities through Nigeria’s rapidly expanding creative and digital industries.
Idris reaffirmed the Ministry’s commitment to partnering with NIPSS and other strategic institutions to translate research and policy ideas into practical opportunities for Nigerians, particularly young people.
He said stronger collaboration would also help position Nigeria to take greater advantage of the rapidly expanding global creative economy.
The meeting was attended by the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation, Dr. Binyerem C. Ukaire; former Minister of Information and Culture and Managing Partner, Bruit Costaud, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, CON; Special Assistant (Administration) to the Minister, Dr. Sunday Baba; Director, Public Communications and National Orientation, Henshaw Ogubike; Director, Public Relations and Protocol, Dr. Haruna Suleiman; and Director, Production, Publication and Documentary, Mr. Okunnu Ibidapo.
Others included Director, International Tourism Relations and Cooperation, Federal Ministry of Art, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy, Mrs. Dorothy Duruaku; Head, Advancement and Alumni Relations Office, NIPSS, Dr. Evelyn Ikuenobe-Otaigbe, mni; Member, Planning Committee, NIPSS, Joe Mutah; PR and Communications Manager, Bruit Costaud, Nnamdi Atupulazi; and other senior government officials.
