By Paul Williams
Inspector-General of Police, 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.
He made the proposal on Wednesday, September 16, 2026, while delivering a lecture to participants of 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,” examined the relationship between security, entrepreneurship and the growth of Nigeria’s creative industries.
It emphasised the role of law enforcement in protecting intellectual property, businesses, digital platforms and other assets that support the sector.
Disu noted that film, music, fashion, publishing, advertising, digital content, gaming, tourism, heritage and the arts are increasingly driven by entrepreneurship, technology and intellectual property.
He stressed that these industries can make a stronger contribution to employment, investment and national development when creators, businesses and their intellectual assets are adequately protected.
The IGP, as part of measures to strengthen the Force’s response to crimes affecting the sector, proposed that the envisaged coordination desk should support specialised policing, inter-agency collaboration, dedicated reporting mechanisms and improved engagement with relevant stakeholders.
He further advocated an intelligence-led and partnership-based approach to tackling organised piracy, counterfeiting, cyber-enabled fraud and other criminal activities affecting creative enterprise.
Disu also emphasised the importance of financial investigation, where applicable, in tracing proceeds linked to criminal networks operating through payment accounts, digital wallets, advertising revenues, logistics networks and online distribution channels.
He called for stronger collaboration between the Nigeria Police Force, the Nigerian Copyright Commission and other relevant institutions on intellectual property protection.
He also identified the protection of film locations, concerts, festivals, tourism sites and cultural assets; improved cybercrime response; preservation of digital evidence; and sustained engagement with creative communities as key areas requiring greater attention.
The IGP highlighted the preventive value of legitimate economic opportunities, noting that providing young Nigerians with credible pathways from talent to lawful income and employment can help reduce vulnerability to criminal activity.
He stressed that piracy, fraud, extortion and other forms of criminality can weaken businesses, discourage investment and undermine innovation.
Disu further stressed that effective policing of the sector must protect both public safety and the rights required for creativity and enterprise to thrive, noting that professional, accountable and rights-respecting policing is essential to building confidence among creators, entrepreneurs and investors.
Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Ani Iniedu, in a release, said the Nigeria Police Force remains committed to working with government institutions, industry stakeholders, creative professionals and communities to strengthen intellectual property protection, secure creative enterprise and provide an enabling environment for innovation, investment and legitimate economic activity to thrive.
