Elizabeth Vincent, Yenagoa
The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) has called on Nigerians to cultivate the habit of reading, critical thinking and continuous learning, describing intellectual development as essential to national growth.
The board made the call on Tuesday at the Nigerian Content Tower (NCT), Swali, Yenagoa, Bayelsa state, during the fifth edition of its Book Reading Programme, which brought together members of the association of Nigerian Authors (ANA), Nigerian institute of public relations (NIPR), Nigeria union of journalists (NUJ), academics and university students.
The programme featured veteran journalist, columnist and strategic communications professional, Mr Paul C. Nwabuikwu, who presented his 2025 publication, The Pain and the Promise: Insights and Fragments on Nigeria and People, Public and Personal (1990–2025).
Excerpts from topical chapters of the book were read and subjected to lively discussions with participants engaging the author in a question-and-answer session on journalism, creative writing, national issues and his experiences as a writer.
In an address, the executive secretary of the NCDMB, Engr. Felix Omatsola Ogbe, represented by the general manager, corporate communications division, Dr Obinna Ezeobi, said the programme reflected the board’s commitment to promoting reading, learning and the continuous exchange of ideas.
Ogbe said books provided an avenue for people to learn from the experiences and knowledge of others while examining issues from different perspectives.
“Books give us the opportunity to learn from the experiences and knowledge of others, and to engage issues from different perspectives he said, adding that the quarterly programme was designed to facilitate meaningful conversations between authors, thought leaders and members of the public
According to him, “We bring people together to share ideas.”
The NCDMB boss stressed that the Board’s mandate went beyond the oil and gas industry to include human capacity development in areas that would enable Nigerians to contribute meaningfully to national development.
“We support businesses, we develop institutions, we also create opportunities for Nigerians to participate meaningfully in the energy sector ,we enable thought processes and we enable people to enhance their intellectual capacities,” Ogbe said.
He further explained that the board’s commitment to human-capital development extended beyond technical and professional skills, noting that it was equally important to encourage Nigerians to develop a strong culture of learning.
“We must read widely, think critically, he emphasised, speaking on his book, Nwabuikwu said his experience as a newspaper columnist had strengthened his resolve to provide depth and context to the issues he examined in his writings.
“Journalism is the first draft of history, he said, explaining that he considered it important to go beyond reporting events by providing context and analysis that would enable readers to better understand them.
The author said much of the book represented his reactions to major events that occurred between 1990 and 2025,he cited Nigeria’s costly military intervention in Liberia and Sierra Leone through the economic community of west african states monitoring group (ECOMOG) as one of the issues that particularly troubled him.
Nwabuikwu questioned the strategic gains Nigeria derived from the intervention, recalling that former president Olusegun Obasanjo, on October 25, 1999, disclosed that Nigeria had spent about $8 billion on the sponsorship of ECOMOG.
Explaining the title of the book, The Pain and the Promise, Nwabuikwu said Nigerians continued to experience numerous challenges in their daily lives, but maintained that the country still possessed enormous potential and promise.
Responding to a question from Dr Ezeobi on his use of humour in writing the author described humour as an escape valve, particularly for writers working under repressive political conditions.
He said humour could enable a writer to communicate difficult messages in a manner that conveyed the intended meaning without unnecessarily provoking those in authority.
On creative writing, Nwabuikwu advised aspiring writers to develop their individual voices rather than imitate established authors.
“Be yourself; don’t try to write like other people,” he said, urging writers to focus on subjects that genuinely interest them and on issues about which they are passionate.
The NCDMB book reading programme was inaugurated in August 2024, with the senior vice chairman and editor-in-chief of Leadership Newspapers, Mr Azu Ishiekwene, as guest author.
The second edition, held on August 25, 2025, featured former editor of the PUNCH, Mr Dayo Oketola, while the third edition, held on November 13, 2025, featured King Bubaraye Dakolo, Agada IV.
The fourth edition, held on April 8, 2026, featured former Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) and former governorship candidate, Dr Dakuku Peterside.
The programme is designed to promote reading culture and literacy, critical thinking and intellectual engagement among published authors, academics, students and media practitioners.
For a better society
_______________________________
Follow us across our platforms:
Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/championnewsonline/
Facebook – https://web.facebook.com/championnewsonline
LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/company/champion-newspapers-limited/
https://x.com/championnewsng/
You can also like and comment on our YouTube videos.
https://youtu.be/QIBfD1tT80w?si=R4Qf3so2LxYu3GC2
