Terhember Wuam, a professor of economic history at the Kaduna State University, has advised the Nigerian government to learn from China’s experience in the quest for national development.
On Wednesday, Mr Wuam made the call in a keynote address at an International Conference with the theme, ‘Understanding China’s Transformation: Reform, Opening Up and Capitalism in China 1978 – Lessons for Nigeria’ in Abuja.
The conference was organised by the Association for United Asian Scholars, Nigeria (AUASN), in partnership with the Department of History and International Relations, Veritas University Abuja.
Mr Wuam, the president of AUASN, said the vital lesson for Nigeria to learn from China’s experience was the leaders and people to dedicate themselves to seeking modernisation.
He explained that China had a tumultuous 20th century, followed by a challenging 19th century when the industrialised West and Japan left it behind as dynastic China held onto tradition and its feudal era.
He added that by the close of the 19th century, agents of change in China were already pushing for reforms and seeking new ideas that would modernise the kingdom.
He recommended the study of China’s history and its quest to industrialise and become a modern, prosperous nation.
“For China, the economic awakening of the past five decades beginning from 1978 has been astonishing, and Deng Xiaoping, who became the paramount leader of China in 1976, was the man behind it.
He was highly effective in guiding China’s economic rise and equally reformed the political system enough to allow for the changes he envisaged to become a reality within his lifetime and beyond,” said the professor.
He added that “Xiaoping promoted a vision of an economically prosperous China with statements like “To get rich is 26 glorious,” and that “For China to get rich, a few people will have to become rich first.”
Mr Wuam said, “He did this alongside working for harmony and security in the country and avoiding the turbulence that was characteristic of the Mao Tsetung era, noting that “Prosperity is only possible with stability.
“He was a firm believer in promoting talented people and believed that a system of capitalism with Chinese characteristics would enable talented people to come to the fore and for the nation to fully utilise their talents.”
