By Emem Idio, Yenagoa
Veteran journalist and strategic communication professional, Mr. Paul Nwabuikwu, has reflected on Nigeria’s troubled history, present realities and enduring possibilities in his latest book, “The Pain and the Promise”: Insights and Fragments on Nigeria and People, Public and Personal (1990–2025).
Nwabuikwu spoke on Tuesday in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, during the fifth edition of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board ,NCDMB, Book Reading Programme, held at the Conference Centre of the Nigerian Content Tower.
In his opening remarks, the NCDMB Executive Secretary, Engr. Felix Ogbe, represented by the General Manager, Corporate Communications Division, Dr. Obinna Ezeobi, said the Book Reading Programme reflected the Board’s mandate of capacity building, creating opportunities and enhancing the intellectual capacity of Nigerians to enable them contribute to national development.
His word: “This book reading event reflects our belief and value in reading, in learning, and in continuous exchange of ideas. Knowledge, you know, plays an important role in personal growth, in professional development, and national progress.
“Books give us the opportunity to learn from the experience of others, question familiar ideas, and engage issues from different perspectives. Over the years, and of course last year and even the year before, we have organized this book reading event to enhance meaningful conversations with authors and thought leaders.
“At the NCDMB, our mandate, is not only about oil and gas, not only about developing capacity, not only about trying to increase Nigeria being a more oil and gas industry, but also we also support businesses. We develop institutions.
“We also create opportunities for Nigerians to participate meaningfully in the energy sector. And we also enable literature. We enable thought processes. We enable people to also enhance their intellectual capacities, which is why we are organizing this book reading program.
“For this reason, our commitment to human capacity development extends beyond technical and professional skills. We must continue to encourage a culture of learning. We must read widely, think critically, and engage with ideas.
“We are proud and pleased that this initiative provides a platform to celebrate Nigerian authors and intellectuals whose work contribute to national conversation, because Nigerians we have important stories to tell.”
Nwabuikwu, while discussing the book, said his experience as a newspaper columnist had shaped his humanist approach to writing, particularly his determination to provide context and depth to issues.
He said much of the writing contained in the book was his response to events that occurred during the period covered by the publication, from 1990 to 2025.
Explaining the title, “The Pain and the Promise,” Nwabuikwu said the “pain” reflected the difficulties Nigerians encounter in their daily lives, while the “promise” represented the possibilities that still exist within the country
He said: “Everybody is a story, everything you see in this world is a story, we are all stories. So the kind of writing I do is the one that captures different types of stories. And what I try to do throughout my career is not to forget the human story.”
The event was attended by members of the Association of Nigerian Authors ,ANA, Bayelsa State chapter, the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations ,NIPR,. and the Nigeria Union of Journalists ,NUJ, a alongside academics and university undergraduates.
Excerpts from topical chapters of the book were read at the event and followed by question-and-answer.sessions with the author and signing of autograph by the author.
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