NCDMB to feature Nwabuikwu’s The Pain and The Promise in book reading session

The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) will host the fifth edition of its Book Reading Programme on Tuesday, 15 September 2026, featuring writer, journalist, public policy analyst and strategic communicator, Paul C Nwabuikwu.

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This edition will focus on Nwabuikwu’s recently published book, The Pain and the Promise: Insights and Fragments on Nigeria and People, Public and Personal. The book brings together writings spanning more than three decades and reflects the author’s broad engagement with Nigeria, its people, politics, economics, public policy and the changing character of society.

The book reading programme is part of NCDMB’s sustained effort to promote literacy, critical thinking and knowledge exchange through structured engagement with leading Nigerian authors and thought leaders. Since its inception, the book reading series has provided a platform for intellectual discourse while reinforcing NCDMB’s commitment to human capital development beyond the oil and gas sector.

Participants will engage with the author and explore issues raised in the book, which connects national events and public policy with the experiences of ordinary Nigerians. The session will provide an opportunity for meaningful conversation on Nigeria’s past and present, leadership, governance, public policy and the human stories behind major national developments.

Nwabuikwu’s professional and intellectual journey spans journalism, public policy, strategic communications, advertising, brand building and opinion research. His career began in journalism in 1988 and has included roles with some of Nigeria’s leading media organisations, including Newswatch, THISDAY and THE GUARDIAN.

He has also served in government, including as Special Assistant on Communications to Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala during her two tenures as Minister of Finance and Head of the Economic Management Team. His professional experience has given him a broad perspective on the relationship between public policy, institutions, communication and the people whose lives are affected by public decisions.

The Pain and the Promise has received commendation from prominent Nigerian leaders and scholars. At its public presentation in Abuja, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, former Minister of Aviation Osita Chidoka and Vice Chancellor of Baze University, Prof Abiodun Adeniyi, described the book as an important contribution to Nigeria’s intellectual and public policy discourse.

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Through the Corporate Communications Book Reading initiative, NCDMB continues to support Nigerian authors and promote platforms that encourage learning, intellectual engagement and the exchange of ideas. The Board views such engagements as important to building a knowledge-based society and strengthening the capacity of individuals to engage with national and global issues.

The fifth edition is expected to bring together professionals, students, industry stakeholders and members of the public for a stimulating discussion on Nigeria, its people and the ideas and experiences that continue to shape the country’s development.

The fifth edition builds on the conversations from the previous sessions, which have featured notable Nigerian authors and their works. The two most recent editions featured HRM King Bubaraye Dakolo and his book, Pirates of the Gulf, as well as former Director General, the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) and former member of the House of Representatives of Nigeria, Dr Dakuku Peterside, who discussed his book, Leading in a Storm.

The forthcoming session with Paul C Nwabuikwu will add another perspective to the conversations promoted through the NCDMB Corporate Communications Book Reading Programme.