The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) has urged Nigerians to cultivate a stronger culture of reading, critical thinking and continuous learning, saying human capital development must go beyond technical and professional skills.
The call was made on Tuesday at the Nigerian Content Tower, Swali, Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, during the fifth edition of the NCDMB Book Reading Programme.
The event brought together members of the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA), Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), academics and university students.
Veteran journalist and strategic communication professional, Mr Paul C. Nwabuikwu, was the featured author, with discussions centred on his 2025 book, The Pain and the Promise: Insights and Fragments on Nigeria and People, Public and Personal, 1990-2025.
Representing NCDMB Executive Secretary, Engr Felix Omatsola Ogbe, the General Manager, Corporate Communications Division, Dr Obinna Ezeobi, said the quarterly programme was designed to promote learning and encourage the exchange of ideas.
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“Books give us the opportunity to learn from the experiences and knowledge of others, and to engage issues from different perspectives,” Ogbe said.
He said the Board’s mandate extends beyond technical participation in the oil and gas industry to include developing the intellectual capacity of Nigerians to contribute meaningfully to national development.
“We enable people to enhance their intellectual capacities,” he said, urging Nigerians to read widely and think critically.Nwabuikwu, reflecting on his decades of journalism, said writers have a responsibility to provide context and help society understand important events.
“Journalism is the first draft of history,” he said.He also advised young writers to develop their own voices rather than imitate established authors.“Be yourself; don’t try to write like other people,” he advised.
The NCDMB Book Reading Programme began in August 2024 and has featured notable authors and public figures, including Azu Ishiekwene, Dayo Oketola, King Bubaraye Dakolo and Dakuku Peterside.
The Board said the initiative is aimed at promoting literacy, critical thinking and intellectual engagement among writers, students, academics, journalists and the wider public.
