The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) will feature writer, journalist and public policy analyst Paul C. Nwabuikwu at the fifth edition of its Corporate Communications Book Reading Programme early next week.

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

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Nwabuikwu, a writer, journalist, public policy analyst and strategic communicator, began his journalism career in 1988 and has worked with some of Nigeria’s leading media organisations, including Newswatch, THISDAY and The Guardian.

His professional journey has also covered public policy, strategic communications, advertising, brand building and opinion research, giving him broad experience of the intersection between institutions, public policy, communication and citizens affected by government decisions.

He served in government 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.

The NCDMB said the book reading programme was part of its sustained efforts to promote literacy, critical thinking and knowledge exchange through structured engagement with Nigerian authors and thought leaders.

Since its inception, the series has provided a platform for intellectual discourse while reinforcing the Board’s commitment to human capital development beyond the oil and gas industry.

The forthcoming session will give participants an opportunity to engage directly with Nwabuikwu and explore issues raised in the book, including Nigeria’s past and present, leadership, governance, public policy and the human experiences behind major national developments.

The Pain and the Promise has received commendation from prominent Nigerian leaders and scholars. At its public presentation in Abuja, former Minister of Finance and current Director-General of the World Trade Organisation, 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.

The Board said its Corporate Communications Book Reading initiative also supports Nigerian authors while creating platforms for learning, intellectual engagement and the exchange of ideas.

NCDMB said such engagements were important to building a knowledge-based society and strengthening citizens’ capacity to engage critically with national and global issues.

The fifth edition is expected to bring together 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 session builds on previous editions of the book reading series, which have featured notable Nigerian authors and their works. The two most recent editions featured HRM King Bubaraye Dakolo, author of 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 discussed his book, Leading in a Storm.

The forthcoming engagement with Nwabuikwu is expected to add another perspective to the intellectual conversations being promoted through the NCDMB Corporate Communications Book Reading Programme.