NIPSS Alumni Association Urges FG to Implement Institute’s Research Findings to Address National Challenges

Linus Aleke in Abuja

The President of the Alumni Association of the National Institute (AANI), Ambassador Emmanuel Obi Okafor, has appealed to the federal government to take the implementation of research findings from the National Institute for Policy and Strategy Studies (NIPSS) seriously by translating them into concrete policies and actionable measures to address identified areas of national problems.

Ambassador Okafor also pledged the association’s full support for the forthcoming National Summit and Exhibition on the Orange Economy, organised by the National Institute for Policy and Strategy Studies (NIPSS) in collaboration with Bruit Costaud.

The AANI President made the call in Abuja when he received the Organising Committee of the Summit, led by the former Minister of Information and Culture and Managing Partner of Bruit Costaud, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, at the Alumni Secretariat in Abuja.

He assured the delegation that the association would leverage its extensive network of members across the public and private sectors to mobilise the necessary support for the successful hosting of the Summit.

Okafor said that given the enormous potential of the creative industry, President Bola Tinubu had mandated Set 48 of NIPSS to undertake research on the Orange Economy, with a view to identifying global best practices for effectively harnessing the sector’s potential for national development.

“I can tell you that in NIPSS, we have research projects on every problem of Nigeria. Currently, we are talking about the Orange Economy. According to the National Bureau of Statistics, this Orange or Creative Economy contributes about only 5.2 per cent to the GDP, but the government is planning that by 2031, it will contribute 10 per cent to our GDP,” he said.

Speaking on the planned Summit, the AANI President said: “The Summit on the Orange Economy is a very key and strategic summit because the Orange Economy, or what we call the Creative Economy, is a concept that people have forgotten, but you find out that we are so endowed with creative talents.”

Okafor further said that Nigeria’s creative economy has enormous potential to surpass the oil industry in economic value and national impact if properly harnessed.

He said that, with the right policies, investments, infrastructure and human capital development, the creative economy could become one of Nigeria’s most powerful engines of economic growth.

“Our music industry is the best. Of course, in the last World Cup, Burna Boy was also playing alongside Shakira. Then you talk about Nollywood. You find out that Nigeria’s Nollywood is second to Hollywood. We have overtaken Bollywood of India.

“We have a lot, but we have never harnessed it. Talk about football talent. Talk about drama. We have a Nobel Prize winner, Professor Wole Soyinka. We have so many wonderful dramatists, but what have we done? We are all concentrated on oil to the detriment of the other sectors,” the AANI President said.

He noted that the association’s membership cuts across the crème de la crème of society, including three former Heads of State, first-class traditional rulers, military top brass, six former Inspectors-General of Police, security chiefs, diplomats, serving and former governors, top civil servants and labour leaders, among others.

Earlier, Alhaji Mohammed solicited the support and collaboration of the association towards the successful hosting of the Summit, which is scheduled to take place from 6 to 8 October 2026 at the National Theatre in Lagos.

He said the Summit was being organised as part of NIPSS’ contribution to President Tinubu’s target of growing Nigeria’s economy to US$1 trillion by 2030 by leveraging the potential of the Orange Economy.

“The Summit is organised by your alma mater, NIPSS, and will hold from 6 to 8 October 2026 at the National Theatre in Lagos, as part of NIPSS’ contribution to Mr. President’s target of growing Nigeria’s economy to US$1 trillion by 2030. My company, Bruit Costaud, is facilitating.

“But this should be a project the entire NIPSS family can be proud of, and no one is better placed to drive that than the alumni,” he said.

The National Summit and Exhibition on the Orange Economy is being organised by NIPSS in collaboration with Bruit Costaud.