By Rhoda Godwin, Yenagoa
For many Nigerians, books are often seen as something reserved for classrooms, examinations and academic pursuits.
But at the Nigerian Content Tower in Yenagoa on Tuesday, a different message emerged: reading remains a powerful tool for understanding society, questioning ideas and shaping the future.
This was the central theme as writers, journalists, public relations practitioners, academics and university students gathered at the Conference Centre of the Nigerian Content Tower, Swali, Yenagoa, for the 5th edition of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) Book Reading Programme.
The programme featured veteran journalist, columnist and strategic communication professional, Paul C. Nwabuikwu, who presented his 2025 book,
The Pain and the Promise: Insights and Fragments on Nigeria and People, Public and Personal (1990–2025).
The gathering, which brought together members of the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA), Bayelsa State Chapter, Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), academics and students, provided an opportunity to examine Nigeria’s past and present through the eyes of a writer who has spent decades documenting and analysing national events.
Representing the Executive Secretary of NCDMB, Engr. Felix Omatsola Ogbe, the General Manager, Corporate Communications Division, Dr. Obinna Ezeobi, said the programme reflects the Board’s policy of promoting reading, learning and continuous exchange of ideas.
He said books provide an opportunity for people to learn from the experiences of others and examine 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,” Ogbe said.
According to him, the quarterly programme was designed to bring authors, thought leaders and members of the public together for meaningful conversations.
“We bring people together to share ideas,” he added.
Ogbe noted that the mandate of NCDMB goes beyond the oil and gas industry, stressing that capacity building is essential to enabling 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,” he said.
He further stressed that human capital development should not be limited to technical and professional skills.
“We must continue to encourage a culture of learning. We must read widely, think critically,” he emphasised.
For Nwabuikwu, however, writing is more than putting words on paper. It is also about making sense of events and preserving the experiences of a society for future generations.
Speaking about his book and his career as a newspaper columnist, he said his writing is driven by the need to give depth to issues and help readers understand the events around them.
“Journalism is the first draft of history,” he said.
Nwabuikwu explained that much of the work contained in the book represents his reactions to 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.
He noted that the title The Pain and the Promise reflects the contradictions of Nigeria’s experience — a country whose citizens face significant difficulties in their daily lives but which continues to possess enormous potential.
The veteran writer also offered an insight into the role of humour in journalism, particularly when writing under difficult political circumstances.
“Humour is like an escape valve,” he said, explaining that writers sometimes use humour to communicate difficult messages without unnecessarily provoking those in authority.
He also had a simple message for aspiring creative writers: be yourself.
“Don’t try to write like other people,” he advised, urging writers to concentrate on subjects that genuinely interest them.
“Whatever you are passionate about,” he said.
The NCDMB Book Reading Programme began in August 2024, with the Senior Vice Chairman and Editor-in-Chief of Leadership Newspapers, Azu Ishiekwene, as its inaugural guest author.
The second edition, held on August 25, 2025, featured former Editor of The PUNCH, Dayo Oketola. King Bubaraye Dakolo, Agada IV, was the guest author at the November 13, 2025 edition, while Dr. Dakuku Peterside featured at the April 8, 2026 edition.
Through the programme, NCDMB continues to provide a platform where published authors, academics, students and media practitioners can meet, exchange ideas and discuss issues beyond the boundaries of their professions.
At a time when attention is increasingly divided between social media, short videos and rapidly changing digital content, Tuesday’s gathering in Yenagoa offered a reminder that the patience required to read, reflect and think critically remains an important part of building informed citizens and a knowledge-driven society.