Between China’s Congress and Nigeria’s recovery

What are the implications, lessons, expectations, offshoot and insights especially for the world’s black most populated nation – Nigeria? The defining event holds today, October 16, 2022, at the Great Hall of the People on the Western side of Tiananmen Square in Central Beijing, China.

Two major contenders for the premier position, a role saddled with the management of the country’s economy and political development are Wang Yang, 67, who supervises a vital political advisory body and Hu Chunhua, 59, a Vice Premier.

Yet another promising premiership contestant is Chen Min’er, 61, a Xi protégé but his chances are implausible when Xi’s interest to continue is not in doubt. The incumbency status of Chairman Xi Jinping, 69 may be indomitably exercised to see him scale through the Congress hurdles.

It is dumbfounding to any keen observer however that Asia Tiger nation rose swiftly from zero to hero, obscurity to global fame and limelight, pariah nationhood to the top echelon of world power.

Exciting! Indeed humbling. What is their magic? Did some aliens from another planet descend to help them perform certain incredible rituals that transformed their nation from a formerly giant pariah nation crippled with reproaches and liabilities to such an indispensable nation that’s politically, financially and economically stable; ranked second world’s largest economy, albeit controversially the first? Or have you checked how much is China’s foreign debt profile compared to the staggering figure hanging on the neck of the self-acclaimed world’s first-largest economy? First, a brief rundown of what the October 16th CCP Congress looks like.

Steve Tsang, Director of the University of London’s SOAS China Institute told the Reuters news agency the following: “He will take China to an even more Sino-centric approach to policy, particularly foreign policy,” Tsang continues that “he will also reinforce the importance of the party leading everything in China, and the party following its leader fully.”

But the aspect of Tsang’s foretelling that sparked some deep concern, especially with respect to where China’s revolutionary trajectory stemmed from is the concluding part this way… “Xi’s likely ascendancy to a third five-year term, and possibly more, was set in 2018 when he eliminated the limit of two terms for the presidency.” Talk about the return of, not dynastic communism, but oligarchy blending with blurred democracy, you may have an idea, after all.

There are key challenging factors awaiting Chairman Xi, 69, if and or when he scales today’s reelection huddle to confront headlong. They are the moribund economy, the random public tumult rising strife and disharmony with the West and escalating tensions over Taiwan, and without doubt the COVID-19 pandemic trails.

Perhaps the most pertinent question I asked Mr Maoming is: “With regards to the upcoming 20th China Communist Party Congress in mid-October 2022, how will this help foster the bilateral relationship between China and Nigeria.

For example, one colossal and outstanding foreign policy project that President Xi Jinping led the government to launch in 2013 is called The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI, or B&R), formerly known as One Belt One Road which is remarkably a global infrastructure development strategy. To what extent can this awesome initiative benefit Nigeria and Nigerians, particularly the regional grassroots.

His answer: “The 20th National Congress of the Communist Party will be convened on October 16, 2022, specifically. It is a very important meeting for the party and also for China and the Chinese people. It is coming at a critical juncture that the Chinese people are working for the second centenary dream.

The Chinese people all over the country are expecting that the Congress will be a success. This Congress will analyze situations, and make plans for the next five years. It plays an important role in making plans for China’s development. Talking about BRI, I think the Congress (as I said will make plans for the next 5 years) definitely will produce a lot of plans for the beneficiary nations and other countries that are connected with the development of BRI, as of course such country as Nigeria. So we are very confident that in the next five years, the conditions of the partnering countries will improve to a further height…I think that the upcoming Congress will make the bilateral relations among the countries including Nigeria, better.”

Nigeria certainly can learn from the world’s largest populated nation and No 2 world strongest economy – China – tremendous lessons on nation-building reformatory and revolutionary templates. Speaking at the press conference to mark 50 years of Nigeria-China relations recently, the Chinese Charged d’ Affaires in Nigeria, Mr. Zhao Yong, disclosed also that China’s trade with Africa has hit $208.7 billion with Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) totalling $49.1 billion.

He continues: “At the same time, Nigeria is China’s major investment destination in Africa. The Ogun-Guangdong Free Trade Zone and Lekki Free Zone have attracted a large number of Chinese companies to invest and operate their businesses. The infrastructure projects built jointly by the two countries, such as roads, ports and airport terminals, can be seen everywhere in Nigeria.”

The bilateral relationship and cooperation between the two remarkable countries in their respective classes are getting stronger by the day. China has demonstrated to the world how a nation may be recovered from the damning consequences of bad leadership crippled with dictatorial practices and at the brink of the precipice to greater status using the blend of specified forms of government where institutions are strengthened and the application of dialectical and historical materialism to revolutionize a nation is simplified and made statutory.

The suggested disengagement and detachment of Nigeria and Nigerians from consumption to production which will emancipate us from foreign economic slavery and make us the world’s market hub and investment destination may be practically tedious and discomforting, but certainly possible. No nation has ever achieved visible development that takes pleasure in relying almost entirely on others to produce what its populace consumes. We cannot afford to be an exception.

• Orajiaku is an investigative journalist and security strategist (steveobum@gmail.com).