The Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria, Yu Dunhai, says strong government leadership is critical to achieving sustainable economic development, reducing poverty and improving citizens’ wellbeing.
Dunhai stated this at a strategic stakeholders’ workshop organised by the Diplomatic Correspondents’ Association of Nigeria (DICAN) in Abuja.
Represented by the Counsellor of the Economic and Commercial Office of the Chinese Embassy, Sun Xuekun, the ambassador said China’s experience demonstrated that effective leadership, targeted poverty alleviation policies and sustained economic development could significantly transform a nation’s economic fortunes.
He said China had lifted more than 800 million people out of poverty since the country began its reform and opening-up process in 1978, accounting for more than 70 per cent of global poverty reduction.
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According to him, the achievement transformed China from one of the world’s poorest countries into a major contributor to global poverty alleviation efforts.
Dunhai noted that nearly 100 million rural residents were still living below the poverty line at the end of 2012, but all had been lifted out of poverty by the end of 2020.
He disclosed that China removed 98.99 million rural residents, 832 impoverished counties and 128,000 impoverished villages from poverty status during the period.
“China eradicated absolute poverty and achieved the poverty reduction target under the United Nations 2030 Agenda ten years ahead of schedule,” he said.
The ambassador attributed the achievement to strong government leadership, targeted poverty alleviation policies and sustained economic development.
He said 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 programme.
According to him, China’s approach evolved from broad-based poverty relief to targeted interventions based on detailed assessments of individual households and communities.
He said the interventions included industrial development, relocation from inhospitable areas, educational support, ecological compensation programmes and expanded social protection.
Dunhai also identified infrastructure development as a major pillar of China’s poverty reduction strategy, citing investments in roads, drinking water, electricity, telecommunications, education and healthcare.
“China has introduced mechanisms to prevent people who had been lifted out of poverty from falling back into deprivation, including a five-year transition period and strengthened monitoring and assistance systems,” he said.
Also speaking, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Dunoma Umar Ahmed, called for a careful assessment of China’s development experience to identify lessons that could be adapted to Nigeria’s poverty reduction efforts.
Represented by Kimiebi Ebienfa at the workshop, Ahmed said Nigeria continued to face poverty, unemployment and inequality, stressing that the challenges required pragmatic and collaborative responses.
According to him, China’s development experience provided useful lessons in long-term planning, infrastructure-led growth, targeted poverty reduction programmes and the mobilisation of domestic resources.
He, however, cautioned against attempting to replicate the Chinese model wholesale.
“Development strategies must reflect each country’s institutions, values and social realities,” Ahmed said.
He urged Nigeria to identify elements of China’s experience that could be adapted to improve agricultural productivity, strengthen social protection systems, promote public-private partnerships and expand investment in human capital.
Ahmed also stressed the importance of transparency, accountability and democratic governance, saying policymakers must develop reforms suited to local realities and ensure effective implementation and monitoring.
He called on development partners to provide technical expertise, financing and international experience aligned with Nigeria’s development priorities.
The Permanent Secretary also highlighted the role of the media in national development, urging diplomatic correspondents to promote public understanding, scrutinise policy choices and strengthen accountability through accurate and balanced reporting.
He reaffirmed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ commitment to deepening international cooperation, knowledge exchange and partnerships capable of attracting responsible investment, technology transfer and capacity-building programmes.
On his part, DICAN Chairman, Frederick Idehai, said Nigeria could benefit from adapting elements of China’s poverty alleviation strategy while taking the country’s peculiar circumstances into account.
Idehai described the workshop as timely, stressing that Africa’s poverty challenge required practical solutions and a closer examination of successful development experiences.
“Assessing Nigeria’s poverty reduction efforts through the lens of China’s experience is particularly important amid economic adjustments, food security concerns and ongoing reforms,” he said.
He recalled a recent study tour of China by African media executives, saying participants observed rural revitalisation projects and modernisation initiatives that could offer useful lessons to developing countries.
Idehai called for expanded 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.
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 key areas for consideration.
Idehai also urged Nigeria to take advantage of China’s zero-tariff policy for African exports by strengthening local supply chains, improving product standards and expanding non-oil exports to the Chinese market.
The workshop brought together policymakers, diplomats, traditional institution representatives, media practitioners and other stakeholders to examine poverty alleviation strategies and lessons from international development experiences.
