It was a celebration of literary culture at the Conference Centre of the Nigerian Content Tower, Swali, Yenagoa, on Tuesday, as the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board hosted the 5th edition of its Book Reading Programme.
The event drew members of the Association of Nigerian Authors, Bayelsa State chapter, the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations, the Nigeria Union of Journalists, academics and undergraduates.
The book in focus was The Pain and The Promise: Insights and Fragments on Nigeria and People, Public and Personal (1990-2025), a 2025 publication by veteran journalist and strategic communication expert, Mr. Paul Nwabuikwu. Excerpts from the book were read and discussed.
Speaking at the event, the Executive Secretary of the NCDMB, Mr. Felix Omatsola Ogbe, said the programme reflects the Board’s commitment to promoting reading, learning and exchange of ideas.
Ogbe, who was represented by the General Manager, Corporate Communications Division, Dr. Obinna Ezeobi, said, “Books give us the opportunity to learn from the experiences and knowledge of others, and to engage issues from different perspectives.”
He said the Board organises the quarterly event to enhance conversations with authors and thought leaders. “We bring people together to share ideas,” he added.
According to him, the mandate of the NCDMB goes beyond the oil and gas industry to include capacity building in diverse areas that enable citizens to contribute 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,” he said.
He stressed that the Board’s commitment to human capital development extends beyond technical and professional skills. “We must continue to encourage a culture of learning. We must read widely, think critically,” Ogbe said.
In his remarks, Nwabuikwu said his craft as a newspaper columnist is driven by the need to give depth to issues.
“Journalism is the first draft of history,” he noted, adding that he strives to give depth to his analysis so readers are better informed.
He said the book is largely his reaction to events between 1990 and 2025, citing Nigeria’s costly military intervention in Liberia and Sierra Leone through the Economic Community of West African States Monitoring Group as a disturbing case.
He recalled that on October 25, 1999, former President Olusegun Obasanjo disclosed that Nigeria spent $8bn on ECOMOG.
On the title of the book, he explained that Nigerians experience pains in many areas of daily life but the country still holds a lot of promise.
Responding to a question on the use of humour in his writing, he said, “Humour is like an escape valve. When you are writing under a military ruler who was not famous for letting his enemies escape, you have to find a way of making your point that readers are sure of what you are saying but Oga is not annoyed enough to deal with you.”
On creative writing, he advised writers to be original. “Be yourself; don’t try to write like other people. Focus on things that interest you, whatever you are passionate about,” he said.
The inaugural edition of the programme was held in August 2024 with the Senior Vice Chairman and Editor-in-Chief of Leadership Newspapers, Mr. Azu Ishiekwene, as guest author.
The second edition was held on August 25, 2025, with former Editor of The PUNCH, Mr. Dayo Oketola, as guest author. The third edition, on November 13, 2025, featured King Bubaraye Dakolo, Agada IV, while the fourth edition on April 8, 2026, featured Dr. Dakuku Peterside.
The objective of the programme is to promote reading culture, literacy, critical thinking and intellectual engagement among authors, academics, students, media practitioners and the general public.
