NCDMB to host book reading session on Nwabuikwu’s ‘The Pain and the Promise’
The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) will on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, host the fifth edition of its Corporate Communications Book Reading Programme, featuring writer, journalist, public policy analyst and strategic communicator, Paul C. Nwabuikwu.
The event, according to a statement issued by the General Manager, Corporate Communications Division, NCDMB, Obinna Ezeobi, PhD, 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 Nwabuikwu’s writings spanning more than three decades, offering reflections on Nigeria, its people, politics, economy, public policy and the changing character of the country’s society.
NCDMB said the Book Reading Programme forms part of its sustained efforts to promote literacy, critical thinking and knowledge exchange through structured engagements with leading Nigerian authors and thought leaders.
Since its inception, the initiative has provided a platform for intellectual discourse while reinforcing the Board’s commitment to human capital development beyond the oil and gas sector.
At the forthcoming session, participants are expected to engage directly with Nwabuikwu and explore issues raised in the book, particularly the connections between national events, public policy and the experiences of ordinary Nigerians.
The discussion will also provide an opportunity for participants to examine Nigeria’s past and present, leadership, governance and public policy, as well as the human stories behind some of the country’s major national developments.
Nwabuikwu’s professional and intellectual journey spans journalism, public policy, strategic communications, advertising, brand building and opinion research.
His career in journalism began in 1988 and included stints with some of Nigeria’s leading media organisations, including Newswatch, THISDAY and The Guardian.
He subsequently ventured into public service, where he served as Special Assistant on Communications to Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala during her two tenures as Minister of Finance and Head of Nigeria’s Economic Management Team.
According to NCDMB, Nwabuikwu’s diverse professional experience has provided him with a broad perspective on the relationship between public policy, institutions, communication and the people affected by government decisions.
The Pain and the Promise has also received commendation from prominent Nigerian leaders and scholars.
At the public presentation of the book in Abuja, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, former Minister of Aviation, Osita Chidoka, and Vice Chancellor of Baze University, Prof. Abiodun Adeniyi, described the publication as an important contribution to Nigeria’s intellectual and public policy discourse.
NCDMB said its Corporate Communications Book Reading initiative would continue to support Nigerian authors while creating platforms for learning, intellectual engagement and the exchange of ideas.
The Board views such engagements as critical to building a knowledge-based society and strengthening the capacity of individuals to understand and engage with national and global issues.
The fifth edition is expected to attract professionals, students, industry stakeholders and members of the public for discussions on Nigeria, its people and the ideas and experiences shaping the country’s development.
The forthcoming session builds on previous editions of the programme, which have featured notable Nigerian authors and their works.
The two most recent editions featured HRM King Bubaraye Dakolo, who discussed his book Pirates of the Gulf, and former Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) and former member of the House of Representatives, Dr. Dakuku Peterside, who presented his book Leading in a Storm.
NCDMB said the engagement with Nwabuikwu would add another perspective to the intellectual conversations being promoted through its Corporate Communications Book Reading Programme.
