By Julius Peter, Abuja
The Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Rilwan Disu, has proposed the establishment of an Orange Economy Security and Intellectual Property Coordination Desk within an appropriate existing structure of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) to strengthen the protection of Nigeria’s rapidly expanding creative economy.
Disu made the proposal on Wednesday, September 16, 2026, while delivering a lecture to participants of the Senior Executive Course 48, 2026, at the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), Kuru, Plateau State.
The lecture, titled “The Orange Economy and Entrepreneurship for Sustainable Development in Nigeria: The Role of the Nigeria Police Force,” focused on the connection between security, entrepreneurship and the development of Nigeria’s creative industries.
The IGP said the creative economy had become an increasingly important component of national development, driven by entrepreneurship, technology, innovation and intellectual property.
He identified film, music, fashion, publishing, advertising, digital content creation, gaming, tourism, cultural heritage and the arts as major components of the Orange Economy, stressing that their contribution to employment generation, investment and economic growth could be enhanced when creators, businesses and their intellectual assets were adequately protected.
According to him, the increasing digitalisation of creative enterprise has also created new security challenges that require law enforcement agencies to adapt their strategies and strengthen collaboration with stakeholders in the sector.
Disu therefore proposed the establishment of the specialised coordination desk to provide a structured platform for addressing security and intellectual property-related challenges confronting creative businesses and professionals.
He said the proposed desk would support specialised policing, inter-agency cooperation, dedicated reporting mechanisms and stronger engagement between the police and relevant stakeholders within the creative industry.
The IGP also advocated an intelligence-led and partnership-based approach to combating organised piracy, counterfeiting, cyber-enabled fraud and other criminal activities capable of undermining creative enterprises.
He stressed the need for law enforcement authorities to pay greater attention to criminal networks operating across physical and digital spaces, particularly where illicit activities exploit online platforms, payment systems and other technological channels.
Disu further highlighted the importance of financial investigation in appropriate cases, particularly in tracing proceeds allegedly linked to criminal networks through payment accounts, digital wallets, advertising revenues, logistics networks and online distribution channels.
He said a stronger financial intelligence component would complement traditional policing efforts and help investigators identify and disrupt the networks benefiting from crimes against creative businesses and intellectual property.
On intellectual property protection, the IGP called for stronger collaboration between the Nigeria Police Force, the Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC) and other relevant institutions responsible for regulating and protecting the creative sector.
He noted that effective protection of intellectual property was essential to encouraging creators and investors to commit resources to the industry, while reducing losses arising from piracy, counterfeiting and other forms of infringement.
Disu also identified the protection of film locations, concerts, festivals, tourism destinations and cultural assets as areas requiring increased security attention.
He said the police would need to strengthen their capacity to respond to cybercrime affecting creative businesses, preserve digital evidence and sustain engagement with creative communities in order to effectively address emerging threats.
The IGP observed that the security of the creative economy extended beyond physical protection, as many creative enterprises increasingly depend on digital platforms, electronic payments, online distribution channels and intellectual property stored or disseminated electronically.
He consequently stressed the importance of improving the capacity of investigators to preserve and analyse digital evidence in cases involving cyber-enabled offences against creative professionals and businesses.
Beyond enforcement, Disu emphasised the preventive role of economic opportunity in addressing criminality among young Nigerians.
He noted that providing young people with credible pathways to transform their talents into lawful income and sustainable employment could help reduce their vulnerability to criminal activities.
According to him, piracy, fraud, extortion and other forms of criminality do not only affect individual creators but can also weaken businesses, discourage investment and undermine innovation across the wider economy.
The IGP maintained that effective policing of the creative sector must therefore balance public safety with the protection of the rights and conditions required for creativity and legitimate enterprise to flourish.
He stressed that professional, accountable and rights-respecting policing remained essential to building confidence among creators, entrepreneurs, investors and other stakeholders in the creative economy.
The proposal comes amid the growing importance of Nigeria’s creative industries, which have produced internationally recognised music, films, fashion, literature, digital content and other cultural products.
Disu said the Nigeria Police Force recognised the need to work with government agencies, industry stakeholders, creative professionals and communities to develop appropriate responses to the security challenges associated with the sector.
He reiterated the commitment of the Force to strengthening intellectual property protection, securing creative enterprises and supporting an environment where innovation, investment and legitimate economic activities could thrive.
The lecture at NIPSS formed part of the engagement with participants of Senior Executive Course 48, 2026, as they examine strategic issues affecting Nigeria’s development and national security.
The proposed Orange Economy Security and Intellectual Property Coordination Desk, if established, would provide an institutional mechanism through which the police and relevant agencies could coordinate responses to crimes affecting Nigeria’s creative industries.
The initiative also underscores the evolving role of law enforcement in an economy where intellectual property, digital platforms, creative content and technology are increasingly important economic assets.
The Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Ani Iniedu, anipr, disclosed this in a statement issued from Force Headquarters, Abuja, on Wednesday, September 16, 2026.
