Informing Policy on the Orange Economy and Entrepreneurship for Sustainable Growth in Nigeria
On Friday, April 24, 2026, the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), in collaboration with the development Research and Projects Centre (dRPC), convened a national dialogue under the Senior Executive Course (SEC) 48. The session formed part of the course’s 2026 theme: “The Orange Economy and Entrepreneurship for Sustainable Growth in Nigeria.”
The dialogue was designed to bring practitioner insight into policy development by creating a structured platform for engagement between young creatives and senior policymakers reflecting a growing recognition of the creative economy as a strategic sector within Nigeria’s broader economic framework.
Context and Rationale
Nigeria’s creative economy has evolved into a significant contributor to national output, now surpassing oil, gas, and mining combined in GDP contribution. This growth underscores the sector’s potential as a driver of employment, innovation, and global cultural influence.
Despite this progress, the sector remains constrained by systemic challenges that limit scalability and sustainability. These include weak intellectual property enforcement, inadequate infrastructure, limited access to financing, fragmented policy coordination, and constrained distribution systems.
The dialogue was therefore positioned to capture grounded perspectives from practitioners and translate them into actionable policy recommendations for national consideration.
Participants and Structure of Engagement
The dialogue convened 64 participants, alongside members of SEC 48, forming a multi-stakeholder platform that connected practitioners, policymakers, academics, and media actors.
Participants represented a wide cross-section of the ecosystem, including:
- The Federal Ministry of Youth Development (represented by Mr. Anthony Chukwuka)
- Media organisations, including Daily Trust
- The Association of Nigerian Authors
- The Creative Directorate of the Kaduna State Government House
- Non-governmental organisations and creative media enterprises
- Universities, professors, and academic researchers
- Relevant government ministries and policy institutions
Key Challenges Identified
- Piracy and Distribution Constraints
Piracy remains deeply embedded within the sector, significantly undermining revenue generation and market transparency. At the same time, distribution infrastructure remains underdeveloped, with limited pathways for content beyond cinemas and a small number of digital platforms.
- Financing and Investment Gaps
Creative production is largely financed through informal channels such as personal networks and limited grants. Institutional funding mechanisms remain difficult to access, while existing financial models do not align with the high-risk, long-cycle nature of creative production.
- Intellectual Property Violations
Intellectual property theft is widespread and often normalised within the ecosystem. Emerging technological developments, particularly artificial intelligence systems trained on creative works without compensation, present additional risks to creator livelihoods.
- Infrastructure Deficits
Access to production facilities, studios, equipment, and post-production infrastructure remains uneven across regions, limiting the ability of creatives to meet global quality standards.
- Monetisation Inequalities
Nigerian creators experience lower earnings compared to global counterparts for similar levels of output and audience reach, reflecting structural disparities in digital platform monetisation systems.
- Underutilisation of Existing Legal Frameworks
While the Copyright Act (2022) provides improved legal protection, there is limited awareness and utilisation among creatives, reducing its practical impact.
Policy Recommendations
The dialogue produced a set of integrated recommendations aimed at strengthening the creative economy across multiple dimensions.
- Strengthening Intellectual Property Systems
Participants emphasised the need for effective enforcement of existing laws, including the practical criminalisation of piracy. Recommendations include the establishment of specialised intellectual property tribunals, expansion of IP education, and improved access to registration systems. Incentives for IP-based businesses were also identified as critical.
- Expanding Infrastructure and Distribution Systems
Investment in distribution channels was identified as a priority, including regional cinemas, mobile cinemas, and local streaming platforms. The establishment of creative hubs, production clusters, studios, and training facilities was also recommended to strengthen production capacity.
- Institutional and Policy Reform
Participants called for the establishment of a fully empowered national film commission to coordinate regulation, funding, distribution, and industry development. There was also strong support for institutionalising the creative economy within government structures and recognising it as a strategic national priority.
- Financing and Economic Support Mechanisms
There was broad consensus on the need to shift from loan-based funding models to grant and incentive-based systems that reflect the realities of the creative sector. Proposals included the creation of a Creative Resilience Fund and the expansion of funding access through both federal and state-level mechanisms.
- Education, Skills, and Capacity Development
Participants highlighted the need for curriculum reform to integrate creative education into formal systems. Strengthening training infrastructure and aligning skills development with industry needs were also identified as priorities. The importance of data-driven policymaking was emphasised to ensure comprehensive sector coverage.
- Technology and Innovation Frameworks
The dialogue underscored the need for clear policy responses to emerging technologies, particularly artificial intelligence. Recommendations include ensuring compensation for creators whose works are used in AI systems and integrating technologies such as blockchain and immersive media into policy frameworks to improve transparency and monetisation.
- Creative Freedom and Cultural Policy
Participants called for inclusive cultural policies that support freedom of expression and reduce unnecessary censorship, enabling authentic storytelling and creative diversity.
Government Engagement and Commitments
The Federal Ministry of Youth Development reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the sector through:
- Skills development initiatives
- Improved access to finance
- Cross-sector collaboration
The Ministry recognised the creative economy as a critical driver of employment, economic growth, and export potential.
Partnership Context
This dialogue is part of a longstanding collaboration between dRPC and NIPSS, spanning over two decades. The partnership has consistently facilitated the integration of practitioner perspectives into national policy processes, ensuring that policy development is informed by real-world experience.
The 2026 engagement reflects a shift in policy discourse, positioning the creative economy as a central component of Nigeria’s future economic strategy.
Next Steps
The insights and recommendations generated from the dialogue will feed into the final policy outputs of Senior Executive Course 48, to be submitted to the Presidency in November 2026.
These contributions will serve as a critical evidence base for shaping national policy on the Orange Economy, with the aim of strengthening Nigeria’s position as a competitive and globally relevant creative economy.
