|By Babatunji Wusu
The Director-General of the Nigeria–China Strategic Partnership (NCSP), Dr Joseph Tegbe, has declared that China’s remarkable economic transformation was the result of deliberate and consistent policy decisions, not luck or coincidence.
Tegbe said China achieved sustained growth through focus, standardisation and disciplined execution, urging Nigeria to adopt similar principles to build resilient and scalable enterprises.
He spoke during a three-day capacity-building seminar themed “Leveraging Chinese Partnerships to Scale Nigerian Businesses,” where he delivered a presentation titled “Hacking Your Personal Economic Growth: Lessons from China’s National Development Journey.” The seminar formed part of NCSP’s drive to deepen enterprise-focused learning and structured knowledge exchange between both countries.
According to Tegbe, China’s development journey offers practical lessons for Nigeria, particularly the need for discipline, scale and long-term thinking in enterprise growth. He explained that many successful Chinese small and medium enterprises did not begin with groundbreaking inventions but by adapting existing products, imported technologies and proven business models before improving them incrementally.
He noted that Chinese firms often dominate markets by mastering a single product or service, replicating it efficiently and refining it over time, rather than spreading resources thin across multiple ventures.
Tegbe also highlighted collaboration as a critical success factor, pointing out that Chinese businesses frequently grow within industrial clusters that share infrastructure, suppliers and labour. He said this model significantly reduces production costs while boosting productivity and competitiveness.
Describing discipline as China’s most enduring competitive advantage, Tegbe said Chinese entrepreneurs aggressively reinvest profits into machinery, inventory and process efficiency, while maintaining modest lifestyles in the early stages of growth.
He added that strict cost control, accurate financial records and a clear understanding of unit economics are essential for sustaining profitability and achieving scale.
Tegbe urged Nigerian entrepreneurs to prioritise technical competence, export readiness, market-driven expansion and patient, long-term strategies, rather than short-term gains.
He reaffirmed NCSP’s commitment to turning Nigeria–China cooperation into practical outcomes that drive productivity, enterprise development and economic self-reliance.
The Nigeria–China Strategic Partnership continues to focus on strengthening bilateral collaboration in trade, investment, technology transfer, infrastructure development and capacity building, with the aim of delivering measurable and lasting value to Nigeria’s economy.
