The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) has urged Nigerians to be committed to the promotion of reading culture, learning and intellectual development as well as critical thinking.
This is contained in a statement by the Executive Secretary of NCDMB, Mr Felix Ogbe, through the General Manager, Corporate Communications Division of NCDMB, Dr Obinna Ezeobi to newsmen on Wednesday in Yenagoa.
Ogbe who was represented by Ezeobi at the 5th edition of the Board’s Book Reading Programme held in Yenagoa, said the quarterly programme was part of the board’s corporate policy to promote reading, learning and the continuous exchange of ideas.
“Books give us the opportunity to learn from the experiences and knowledge of others, and to engage issues from different perspectives,” he said.
He said that the programme was designed to provide opportunities for participants to interact with authors and thoughtful leaders while examining contemporary issues through literature and critical discussion.
Ogbe noted that the NCDMB mandate went beyond the oil and gas industry, to building human capacity in areas that would enable Nigerians to contribute meaningfully to national development.
According to him, human capital development should not be limited to technical and professional skills, but encompass intellectual growth and a sustained culture of learning.
The Guest Author, Mr Paul Nwabuikwu, featured his 2025 publication, “The Pain and the Promise: Insights and Fragments on Nigeria and People, Public and Personal (1990-2025).
He said that his experience as a newspaper columnist reinforced his belief in giving depth and context to issues in order to help readers better understand events.
Nwabuikwu, also a veteran journalist, columnist and strategic communication professional, read excerpts from selected chapters of the book and responded to questions from participants.
He said that several of the issues examined in the book were reactions to events that occurred between 1990 and 2025.
He cited Nigeria’s military intervention in Liberia and Sierra Leone through the Economic Community of West African States Monitoring Group as one of the events that influenced his reflections.
He argued that Nigeria “derived no gain of strategic importance from the costly interventions.”
On the title of the book, “The Pain and the Promise”, the author said it reflected the contradictions of Nigeria, “where citizens experience difficulties in different aspects of their daily lives while the country continues to possess enormous potential.”
Responding to a question on his use of humour in writing, Nwabuikwu described humour as “an escape valve”, saying it enabled writers to communicate sensitive issues in difficult political circumstances.
“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,” he said.
