A Strategic Blueprint for Developing Nations — And How the GNA Is Building a New Model of Diaspora-Home Collaboration for Nigeria

Introduction: What China Teaches the World About Transformation

Fifty years ago, China was counted among the poorest nations on earth.
The World Bank reports that over 90% of Chinese citizens lived in extreme poverty, surviving on less than $2 a day. China was essentially a vast rural settlement—low skills, limited infrastructure, restrictive economic systems, and a population trapped in underdevelopment.

Today, extreme poverty in China is below 1%, the country is the world’s second-largest economy, and its development is cited globally as one of the most outstanding national transformations in human history.

This miracle did not come through:

• Slogans

• Emotional speeches

• Political rhetoric

• Wishful thinking

It came through:

• Methodical planning

• Discipline

• National unity

• Scientific problem-solving

• Aggressive infrastructure growth

• Strong institutions and rule of law

• Zero tolerance for corruption

• Collective participation

These principles are not uniquely Chinese—they are universal laws of national development.

And importantly, these principles directly underpin the mission and structure of the Great Nigerian Assembly (GNA)as it mobilizes Nigerians at home and in the diaspora to collaborate for national transformation.

1. Education and Skills Above Ideology

When Deng Xiaoping rose to leadership in 1978, he declared:

“It doesn’t matter whether a cat is black or white, as long as it catches mice.”

This statement broke China free from decades of ideological rigidity. It created a new national philosophy:

Results over rhetoric. Skills over speeches. Competence over politics.

China invested aggressively in:

• STEM education

• Technical and vocational training

• Agricultural modernization

• Engineering capacity

• Manpower development

A historic example was Xiaogang village, where 18 farmers secretly piloted a productivity model that multiplied harvests beyond the previous ten years combined.
China studied it scientifically—and scaled it nationwide.

GNA Connection: Building a Skilled Citizenry Home and Abroad

The Great Nigerian Assembly (GNA) is applying the same principle.

Through:

• Professional Groups across every sector,

• Diaspora technical committees,

• Global seminars,

• Skill-transfer platforms,

• Youth empowerment programs,

• Training partnerships (e.g., with CPI Education and i3Cert)

…the GNA is raising a generation of Nigerians equipped with knowledge, competence, digital skills, AI literacy, entrepreneurship, civic intelligence, and national consciousness.

GNA’s guiding philosophy aligns with China’s lesson:

National development is impossible without a technically skilled population.

2. Innovation Through Special “Testing Zones” — The SEZ Strategy

China’s growth did not happen nationwide at once.
It began with small, controlled experiments known as Special Economic Zones (SEZs).

“If it works, expand. If it fails, fix.”

Shenzhen: A Case Study of Measured Innovation

• 1980 population: 30,000

• Today: 18 million+

• Headquarters of Huawei, Tencent, BYD, DJI

Shenzhen was a development laboratory—flexible, forward-looking, and insulated from bureaucracy. After it succeeded, China replicated the model.

GNA Connection: Local Government-Level “CAA Governance Model”

The GNA is implementing a similar transformation approach through its:

• Coverage Area Administrators (CAA)
• Grassroots Chapters
• Local Government Leadership Framework

These structures act as mini development laboratories, where:

• Community needs are gathered in real time

• Diaspora expertise is applied directly

• Transparent accountability is enforced

• Solutions are tested at the grassroots before scaling nationally

Just as SEZs allowed China to experiment and refine, GNA’s CAA structure allows Nigeria to pilot governance improvements at the LG level and scale successful models nationwide.

3. Industrialization Before Consumption

Developing nations often begin by consuming foreign goods.
China chose a different path:

Produce first. Export first. Consume later.

In the 1980s, most Chinese families could not afford luxury items. But factories were producing for the world:

• Clothing

• Toys

• Electronics

• Machinery

Foreign money entered China. Local value remained in China.

This created:

• Jobs

• Skills

• Manufacturing capacity

• Technological upgrades

• A strong export base

GNA Connection: Diaspora-Home Collaboration for Industrial Growth

The GNA encourages Nigerians in the diaspora to:

• Transfer technology

• Invest in local industries

• Mentor startups

• Support small manufacturers

• Facilitate export partnerships

• Build clusters of specialized knowledge

• Provide market intelligence

GNA believes no nation becomes great by importing everything.
Industrialization—powered by diaspora collaboration—is the key to reversing economic dependency.

4. Infrastructure as the Backbone of Development

Between 1990 and 2020, China built:

• 140,000 km of highways

• 40,000 km of high-speed rail (70% of global total)

• World-class airports and seaports
• Massive power generation systems

Infrastructure does not just beautify a nation—it opens economic arteries.

It reduces:

• Travel time

• Cost of goods

• Post-harvest loss

It increases:

• Productivity

• Access

• Trade

• National cohesion

GNA Connection: Tracking Projects and Improving Transparency

The GNA is developing digital tools (e.g., VoiceItOut) that allow citizens to:

• Report infrastructural problems

• Track government projects

• Document progress and delays

• Hold leaders accountable

• Ensure transparency at the local level

By enabling crowd-powered monitoring and diaspora-supported reporting, GNA is building what China used state machinery to achieve:
infrastructure that responds to the needs of the people.

5. Discipline, Collective Duty, and National Identity

China’s development rests on an invisible but powerful foundation:

Collective discipline.

The world saw this when China built a functional hospital in 10 days during COVID-19.
Not because of magic—because of:

• Coordination

• Duty

• Patriotism

• Efficiency

• Work ethic

Meanwhile, in many developing nations, a simple hall or administrative building may take years to complete—if ever.

GNA Connection: Rebuilding the Culture of Collective National Duty

The GNA seeks to restore Nigeria’s lost culture of:

• Discipline

• National unity

• Shared responsibility

• Love for the country

• Selfless service

Through programs like:

• Pacesetter Awards (recognizing excellence)

• Global Seminars and Think Tanks
• Diaspora community mobilization
• Civic education campaigns
• Youth leadership training

…the GNA is reawakening the belief that nation-building is a collective assignment, not a government-only project.

6. Zero Tolerance for Corruption

China understood early that corruption is the greatest enemy of national development.

• Thousands of officials were prosecuted

• Billions recovered

• Strict internal controls implemented

• Strong discipline in public service

• Transparent systems introduced

No nation rises where corruption thrives.

Corruption destroys infrastructure, destroys trust, destroys investment, destroys hope.

GNA Connection: Strengthening Accountability from Bottom to Top

Through systems such as:

• CAA oversight processes
• VoiceItOut for transparent reporting
• Community-driven monitoring
• Diaspora scrutiny and evaluation

…the GNA is creating a new culture of accountability where:

• Citizens monitor government

• Diaspora amplifies transparency

• Wrongdoing is exposed

• Good governance is rewarded

GNA’s message is simple:

Nigeria cannot rise without eliminating corruption.

7. Rule of Law and Strong Institutions

China’s explosive growth became possible because the nation built:

• Predictable regulatory systems

• Stable institutions

• Contract enforcement mechanisms

• Business-friendly policies

• Efficient bureaucracy

Investors will not invest where rules change arbitrarily.
Innovation does not flourish where laws are uncertain.

GNA Connection: Institution-Building Across Communities

GNA is constructing:

• Structured leadership at grassroots, LG, state, national, and global levels

• Professional Groups that function as think tanks

• Advisory councils that guide governance

• Systems for electoral integrity

• Frameworks for community participation

These systems are not built around personalities—they are built around institutions that endure.

8. Citizen Participation and Genuine National Love

China’s citizens, regardless of differences, share one powerful value:

A practical, unwavering love for their country.

They:

• Protect public infrastructure

• Participate in collective programs

• Support national development

• Sacrifice for the greater good

In many developing countries, citizens often:

• Destroy public assets

• Complain without contributing

• Prioritize tribe over nation

• Ignore civic responsibility

GNA Connection: A New Movement of Patriots

The GNA is mobilizing Nigerians at home and abroad to become:

• Contributors, not complainers

• Builders, not spectators

• Problem-solvers, not critics

• Patriots, not passive citizens

Through:

• Global town halls

• Diaspora engagement

• Community-building programs

• Youth empowerment

• Public awareness campaigns

…the GNA is restoring the belief that Nigeria belongs to all of us—and only we can build it.

 Poverty Is Not a Curse — It Is a System Failure

China did not escape poverty through:

• Miracles

• Emotional speeches

• Political propaganda

• Wishful thinking

China rose through:

• Education

• Discipline

• Accountability

• Industrialization

• Infrastructure

• Innovation

• Rule of law

• Patriotism

And Nigeria—and any African nation—can do the same when these principles are adopted.

The GNA Vision: Building a New Model of National Transformation

The Great Nigerian Assembly stands at the intersection of:

• Diaspora expertise

• Grassroots mobilization

• Civic technology

• Good governance advocacy

• National accountability

• Youth empowerment

• Community reform

GNA is not building a political party.
It is building a movement, a structure, and a system—one that connects:

Diaspora → Communities → Local Government → Nation

A model that ensures:

• Every citizen has a voice

• Every problem has visibility

• Every leader has accountability

• Every community has support

• Every diaspora professional has a role in national rebuilding

China proved what is possible.
GNA is proving what is achievable for Nigeria.

With discipline, collaboration, and a shared national purpose, Nigeria too can rise—faster than expected, deeper than imagined, stronger than ever before

GN (Dr.) Kayode Elusoji
Executive Director,
Great Nigerian Assembly (GNA)