The Executive Governor of Plateau State, Barrister Manasseh Caleb Mutfwang, has described the Orange Economy as a strategic pathway to Nigeria’s economic diversification and sustainable development, urging senior executives to reposition creativity and entrepreneurship at the centre of national policy thinking.
Represented by the Deputy Governor, Ngo Josephine Chundung Piyo, at the inauguration of the Senior Executive Course, (SEC) 48, of the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies, the Governor congratulated the 105 nominees on their selection and charged them to maximise the opportunity to deepen their strategic leadership capabilities.
He noted that the study theme, “Orange Economy and Entrepreneurship for Sustainable Development in Nigeria,” is timely, particularly as the country confronts unemployment, youth restiveness, and the urgent need to diversify from resource-dependent growth models. According to him, sectors such as culture, tourism, media, fashion, film, music, and digital innovation must now be treated as serious economic drivers capable of creating jobs, strengthening social cohesion, and expanding Nigeria’s global competitiveness.
The Governor further observed that Plateau State, with its rich cultural heritage, tourism assets, and vibrant creative landscape, offers practical insights into how creativity, governance, and peace-building can intersect to drive development.
In his welcome address, the Director-General of the Institute described the inauguration as the commencement of a rigorous ten-month intellectual and leadership engagement designed to sharpen strategic thinking and deepen policy insight among senior executives . He emphasised that participation in the Course is not merely an academic exercise but a call to national service that demands intellectual discipline, ethical leadership, and commitment to the collective good.
The Director-General stressed that the Orange Economy challenges traditional development paradigms anchored predominantly on extractive resources. Instead, it requires policymakers to recognise creativity, ideas, talent, and cultural heritage as strategic economic assets and to develop coherent policies that protect intellectual property, incentivise innovation, and promote entrepreneurship .
He reminded participants that the NIPSS experience is deliberately demanding, involving intensive academic sessions, interdisciplinary research, structured debates, and field studies aimed at producing policy options that are practical, evidence-based, and implementable .
The formal swearing-in of the nominees marked their transition into full participants of SEC 48. Over the next ten months, they are expected to interrogate national challenges critically and generate policy recommendations capable of advancing Nigeria’s creative economy and strengthening sustainable development outcomes.
