What does Nigeria look like when viewed from the newsroom, the corridors of government and the everyday experiences of its people? That is the conversation Paul C. Nwabuikwu is expected to bring to the fifth edition of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board’s Corporate Communications Book Reading Programme on Tuesday, September 15, 2026.

Nwabuikwu, a journalist, public policy analyst and strategic communicator, will discuss his recently published book, The Pain and the Promise: Insights and Fragments on Nigeria and People, Public and Personal, which draws on more than three decades of writing and observing Nigeria.

The book brings together reflections on the country’s politics, economy, public policy, leadership and society, offering a perspective shaped by Nwabuikwu’s unusual experience of both reporting on public affairs and participating in them.

He began his journalism career in 1988 and worked with major Nigerian publications including Newswatch, THISDAY and The Guardian. He later moved into government and served as Special Assistant on Communications to Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala during her two terms as Minister of Finance and Head of the Economic Management Team.

That experience gives the book reading a wider relevance beyond literature. The discussion is expected to examine how government decisions and national events translate into the everyday realities of Nigerians, while reflecting on the people and institutions that have shaped the country.

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At the public presentation of The Pain and the Promise in Abuja, Okonjo-Iweala, former Minister of Aviation, Osita Chidoka and Vice Chancellor of Baze University, Professor Abiodun Adeniyi, praised the book for its contribution to Nigeria’s intellectual and public policy discourse.

The NCDMB reading programme provides a platform for Nigerian authors and thought leaders to discuss their work directly with readers and engage audiences on issues beyond the books themselves. The initiative forms part of the Board’s efforts to promote literacy, critical thinking and knowledge exchange as part of its broader human capital development agenda.

Previous editions have featured HRM King Bubaraye Dakolo, who discussed Pirates of the Gulf, and former NIMASA Director General and former House of Representatives member Dakuku Peterside, who discussed Leading in a Storm.

The September 15 session will bring together professionals, students, industry stakeholders and members of the public for an evening of discussion around Nigeria’s past and present, leadership, governance and the experiences that have shaped the country.

With Nwabuikwu’s career spanning the media, government and strategic communications, the session offers an opportunity to hear reflections from someone who has spent decades watching Nigeria change from different vantage points.

Meiza Nigeria