By Joy Omagha Idam
The Federal Government has urged Nigeria to study and adapt relevant lessons from China’s poverty reduction experience to address poverty, unemployment and inequality in the country.
The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Dunoma Umar Ahmed, made the call in Abuja in a goodwill message delivered at a strategic stakeholders’ workshop organised by the Diplomatic Correspondents’ Association of Nigeria (DICAN).
Ahmed, who was represented by the Ministry’s spokesperson, Kimiebi Ebienfa, said China’s development experience offered valuable lessons in long-term planning, infrastructure development, targeted poverty reduction and mobilisation of domestic resources.
He, however, cautioned that Nigeria must “adapt rather than replicate” the Chinese model, stressing that every development strategy must reflect the country’s unique social, political, economic and institutional realities.
According to him, Nigeria could draw useful lessons from China’s experience in improving agricultural productivity, strengthening social protection, promoting public-private partnerships and investing in human capital.
He said: “Nigeria must identify those aspects of the Chinese development experience that can be adapted to our own circumstances while maintaining transparency, accountability and democratic governance.”
The Permanent Secretary also emphasised the importance of effective implementation, monitoring and evaluation of government policies, noting that development partners could complement Nigeria’s efforts through technical expertise, financing, technology transfer and capacity building.
Ahmed further highlighted the important role of the media, particularly diplomatic correspondents, in educating the public, scrutinising policy decisions and promoting accountability through accurate and balanced reporting.
He reaffirmed the commitment of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to strengthening international cooperation and partnerships that would attract responsible investments and support Nigeria’s development priorities.
China Lifted Over 800 Million People Out of Poverty
Speaking on behalf of the Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria, Yu Dunhai, the Counselor of the Economic and Commercial Office of the Chinese Embassy, Sun Xuekun, said China had lifted more than 800 million people out of poverty since the country embarked on reform and opening-up in 1978.
Sun said China’s achievement accounted for more than 70 per cent of global poverty reduction and had transformed the country from one of the world’s poorest nations into a major contributor to global poverty alleviation.
He disclosed that while nearly 100 million rural residents remained below the poverty line at the end of 2012, all had been lifted out of poverty by the end of 2020.
During the period, he said, 98.99 million rural residents, 832 impoverished counties and 128,000 impoverished villages were removed from poverty status.
According to Sun, China also achieved its poverty reduction target under the United Nations 2030 Agenda 10 years ahead of schedule.
He attributed the success to strong government leadership, targeted poverty alleviation programmes and sustained economic development.
Sun revealed that the Chinese government invested nearly 1.6 trillion yuan in special poverty alleviation funds and deployed more than three million officials and village work-team members to support the campaign.
He explained that China eventually moved from broad poverty relief programmes to highly targeted interventions based on detailed assessments of households and communities.
The interventions, he said, included industrial development, relocation from inhospitable areas, educational support, ecological compensation and expanded social protection.
He also identified massive investments in roads, electricity, drinking water, telecommunications, education and healthcare as critical components of China’s poverty reduction strategy.
DICAN Seeks Stronger Nigeria-China Engagement
The Chairman of DICAN, Idehai Frederick, said Nigeria could benefit significantly from adapting elements of China’s poverty alleviation strategy while taking the country’s peculiar circumstances into consideration.
Frederick described the workshop as timely, noting that Africa’s poverty challenge required practical solutions and a careful examination of development models that had produced measurable results.
He said the need to evaluate Nigeria’s poverty reduction efforts through the experience of China had become more important amid economic adjustments, food security concerns and ongoing reforms.
Referring to a recent study tour of China by African media executives, the DICAN chairman said participants observed rural revitalisation projects and modernisation initiatives that could provide useful lessons for other developing countries.
He called for increased fellowship opportunities, media exchange programmes and technical journalism training for DICAN members, as well as stronger engagement between the association and the Chinese business community.
While acknowledging China’s record of lifting more than 800 million people out of extreme poverty, Frederick stressed that Nigeria should not copy China wholesale but should adapt successful elements of the model to its own realities.
He identified data-driven interventions at household and community levels, infrastructure development, mutually beneficial economic partnerships and development assistance aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals as areas Nigeria should consider.
Frederick also urged Nigeria to maximise opportunities created by China’s zero-tariff policy for African exports by strengthening local supply chains, improving product standards and increasing non-oil exports to the Chinese market.
The workshop attracted policymakers, diplomats, traditional institution representatives, media practitioners and other stakeholders who examined practical approaches to poverty alleviation and the lessons Nigeria could draw from international development experiences.