How COVID-19 pandemic rekindled my creative acumen – Nnabuife

RENOWNED journalist, poet and author, Chuka Nnabuife has narrated how the COVID-19 lockdown of 2020 inspired him to develop and publish three books in spite of the ravaging effects of the pandemic as at the time of ideation and scripting of the books.

  Nnabuife explained that the three books he wrote titled “‘Homeland Catalysis: More Than Just Anambra Narrative,’ ‘Nigerian Civil War 1967 to 1970: Holes in our Bubbles ‘and ‘Mbize: Rage of the Red Earth’ were direct proceeds of practical journalism and the opportunity provided by the coronavirus pandemic.

  He emphasised the need for one to aspire to be a rare breed especially in the context of exclusivity rather than join the bandwagon effect, stressing that tough times don’t last but tough men do.

  Nnabuife, who is currently the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Anambra Newspapers and Printing Corporation, publishers of the state-owned newspaper (National Light), said at the launch of his three books at the National Light premises, Government House, Awka, that most times, dire situations turned out to be more benefiting, adding that the pandemic provided ample time for him to concentrate more on publishing the books.

  He said he had about eight manuscripts out of which he narrowed down to five which were publishable and eventually ended up in producing three of the manuscripts into books, saying that if he hadn’t the time of the pandemic, the books wouldn’t have come to fruition.

  Although Nnabuife noted that the steady decline in the reading culture of the citizenry due to the impact of the Internet and other social media channels, was not an issue as it is being peddled that the newspaper is dead, but he believes that a newspaper with exclusive contents stands the test of time.

  Again, Nnabuife explained that the journalism profession was not dying as erroneously held by some people but pointed out that obsolescence in the profession was giving way for more technologically-driven practice and that practitioners must embrace the dynamics of the profession.

  According to him, “we have increasing improvements to media technology and it is making it very difficult for people who are not producing very durable contents to die away before they realised it.”

  He however admonished young and upcoming journalists to always aspire to be in the front page of the newspaper as well as go for exclusive stories to distinguish themselves from the crowd.

  He also said that journalists who see social media operators as rivals were those who don’t have contents to make them stand out as a brand or force to be reckoned with. 

  MD, CEO ANPC, Sir Chuka, Nnabuife (middle), Bobmanuel Udokwu(third right) and others during the book presentation.