The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) has urged Nigerians to cultivate the habit of reading widely and thinking critically, saying human-capital development must go beyond technical and professional skills.
The Executive Secretary of the Board, Felix Omatsola Ogbe, stated this at the fifth edition of the NCDMB Book Reading Programme held at the Nigerian Content Tower in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.
Ogbe, represented by the General Manager, Corporate Communications Division, Obinna Ezeobi, said the quarterly programme was established to promote learning, intellectual engagement and the 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.
According to him, the Board’s human-capital development responsibility extends beyond building technical capacity in the oil and gas industry.
“We support businesses, we develop institutions; we also create opportunities for Nigerians to participate meaningfully in the energy sector; we enable thought processes, and we enable people to enhance their intellectual capacities,” Ogbe said.
He added that the Board would continue to encourage a culture of learning, stressing that Nigerians “must read widely, think critically.”
The event featured veteran journalist and strategic communication professional, Paul C. Nwabuikwu, who discussed his 2025 book, The Pain and the Promise: Insights and Fragments on Nigeria and People, Public and Personal (1990-2025).
Nwabuikwu, who has worked as a newspaper columnist, said his approach to journalism was driven by the need to provide depth and context to issues.
“Journalism is the first draft of history,” he said, explaining that he seeks to add depth to his analysis so readers can better understand events.
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 writing.
Discussing the title of his book, Nwabuikwu said the “pain” reflects the difficulties Nigerians experience in their daily lives, while the country continues to retain considerable “promise.”
He also spoke about the use of humour in writing, describing it as “an escape valve”, particularly when writers are dealing with sensitive political and social issues.
On creative writing, he advised aspiring writers to develop their own voices rather than imitate established authors.
“Be yourself; don’t try to write like other people,” he said, urging writers to focus on subjects they are passionate about.
The NCDMB Book Reading Programme was launched in August 2024 and has since featured authors and public figures including Leadership Newspapers’ Editor-in-Chief, Azu Ishiekwene; former PUNCH Editor, Dayo Oketola; King Bubaraye Dakolo; and former NDDC Managing Director, Dakuku Peterside.
The programme brings together authors, academics, students and media practitioners to discuss books and broader issues of public interest, with the Board describing its objectives as promoting reading culture, literacy, critical thinking and intellectual engagement.