Taiwan, even with its outlaying islands, is still like a drop in the vast Pacific Ocean. It accommodates 2.3million Taiwanese.
Nigeria is not. It’s the exact opposite of Taiwan. It’s one massive mainland bordered down South by gargantuan Atlantic Ocean. It’s home to over estimated 250 million Nigerians.
These seeming huge dissimilarities may be the beginning of wisdom. Exploited positively. It may turn out to be the tonic Nigerians and its leaders need. They should opt for the patriotic way the Taiwanese did it. That’s one useful lesson we have to pick fromTaiwan. And her rugged citizens. Very fast too.
Taiwan has shown that it’s doable. Nigeria needs to key into her determination and resilience. There are no two ways to it. We’ve got to be restless and restive. Those are the key words. And the trademark of Taiwan.
Her Head of Mission, Lagos, Mr. Andy Yih-Ping Liu, is very compassionate about it. He flaunts his country’s uncommon doggedness, perseverance and persistence with exceptional passion.
He would brandish it at any slightest opportunity: “We started from the scratch after the Nationalist Armies were defeated by the Communist China in 1949.
“We were forced out of the mainland to the islands. It was a great defeat. We were reduced to rumbles, total ruins. We had no mineral resources but bananas and rice.” It’s upon those food products Taiwan was built and grew like maize. And became what it is today. The journey was and still tortuous. Taiwan remains undaunted in the face of glaring provocations. And ominous threats to its existence.
The unbreakable Taiwan scaled all the huddles; natural and man-made. It stoutly performed the incredible. It’s more than “mere” magic wand. Its profound period was 1950s to 1960s. It witnessed rapid industrial development.
The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) was proud to testify. And it did it intensely: “Taiwan is an island that has for all practical purposes been independent since 1950, but which China regards as a rebel region that must be reunited with the mainland – by force if necessary.
“China has claimed sovereignty over Taiwan since the end of the civil war in 1949, when the defeated Nationalist government fled to the island as the Communists under Mao Zedong swept to power.
“China insists that nations cannot have official relations with both China and Taiwan, with the result that Taiwan has formal diplomatic ties with only a few countries. The US is Taiwan’s most important de-facto ally.
“Despite its diplomatic isolation, Taiwan – officially the Republic of China – has become one of Asia’s major economic players, and one of the world’s top producers of computer technology.”
Taiwan is almost an all-rounder nation. It strives to excel in whatever field it “plunges” itself. It will always come clean, unscratched. That again came to play in 2020. That was when COVID-19 pandemic rapidly swept across the globe.
In Taiwan, its impact on the domestic economy was both wide and varied. Drawing on past successful anti-SARS measures, government wisely prioritised disease control. Not only that.
It simultaneously provided economic relief followed by stimulus. The action paid off handsomely. The strategy was at the core of early disease prevention guidelines.
So, as the pandemic continued, government drafted special acts and special budgets to help directly impacted citizens and businesses overcome challenges. These brought about a remarkable economic performance that impressed the whole world. And Taiwanese were better for it.
Nigeria has intriguing similarities with Taiwan. In 2000, Taiwans halted more than five decades of Nationalist rule. They aligned with the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP). Nigeria did the same. It returned to democracy a year earlier in 1999.
This resemblance is also striking and amazing. It’s both the melting and meeting point of sorts. Nigerians went to the polls on February 25, 2023. To pick Bola Tinubu as President.
Taiwanese followed suit on January 13, 2024, electing William Lai Ching-te. But he was inaugurated before Tinubu on May 20, 2024. Ours had his nine days later, May 29. It was that close and exciting.
This was not lost on Tinubu. He got winds of these astounding similarities earlier enough. And he cashed on these during electioneering. He acknowledged Taiwan and its uncanny feats. His exact words:
“I will work with businessmen and women and encourage them to make the South East (of Nigeria) the Taiwan of Africa.” That’s the stimulant Taiwan yearns for. It’s all Taiwanese want to hear. They hold it so dearly. And in high esteem. It resonates in their hearts.
It does not end there. Rather, it’s becoming more interesting and intriguing. Taiwan National Day is October 10. It’s also called Double Tenth Day, Double Ten Day Anniversary of the Xinhai Revolution.
Ours is in like manner. The British colonialists chose October I, 1960, for us. And we call it Independence Day. Correct to some unreasonable extent. We are independent of the colonialists, right. But, now heavily dependent on looters as (mis)leaders and (mis)rulers.
Ching-te’s election was another landmark for Taiwanese. An account captured it vividly: “Taiwanese voters chose pro-sovereignty candidate William Lai as their president in January 2024, cementing a path that is increasingly divergent from China.
The move angered Beijing, which issued a statement after the results insisting, ‘Taiwan is part of China.’ While Beijing has called for ‘peaceful reunification,’ it has also not ruled out the use of force.
“It was the third presidential election victory for the pro-sovereignty Democratic Progressive Party (DPP). In his first remarks President Lai signalled that this was an irreversible trajectory. ‘The country will continue to walk on the right path forward. We will not turn around or look backwards,’ he said.
“But Mr Lai also had a message for China and said he favoured more exchanges and dialogue over obstructionism and conflict, and called for peace and stability with Beijing.
“At the same time, he added, he would ‘maintain the cross-strait status quo’ – neither seeking independence nor unification with China – and pledged to ‘safeguard Taiwan from threats from China.’”
It couldn’t have been all roses. Taiwan has its own share of adversaries and adversities. Every country does. It has a chequered history. Packed-full of ups and downs. It was too much for a “tiny” Taiwan. Yet, the “petite” country and its tough citizens gave up not. They dared not!
They kept hope alive when the tough time lasted. It first had a bitter taste of rude foreign intervention in 1626. That was when the Spanish established a trading base on its soil.
Taiwan has successfully moved past its ugly past. Unrelentingly surging on undeterred. Taiwan graciously obliged us an insight of what’s in stock for us. Only if we follow the Taiwanese audacious example:
“A 2022 index notes, Taiwan is one of the few countries in the world to have experienced continuous economic growth during the past five years. Economic freedom has increased significantly during that period as well.
“Also notable is that Taiwan recently ranked as the eighth most vibrant democracy in the world, according to the Economist Intelligence Unit’s latest Democracy Index, based on five key metrics: electoral process and pluralism, functioning of government, political participation, political culture, and civil liberties.
“In 2020, Taiwan, along with Japan and South Korea, moved up a category from ‘flawed democracies’ to ‘full democracies.’
“Indeed, Taiwan’s proven track record of being a free, vibrant member of free market democracy is not only remarkable, but also should be further enhanced through pragmatic, strategic partnerships with the United States and other like-minded, willing countries around the world.”
Cheering news came on press freedom in Asia. Taiwan leads the pack. Great kudos to Taiwanese press. It has never been by size. And it won’t be now. A testifier: “The media environment in Taiwan is among the freest in Asia, and extremely competitive.
“Media freedom organisations say Beijing exerts pressure on Taiwanese media owners. There are hundreds of newspapers, all privately-owned and reflecting a wide range of views.”
In Taiwan, leaders positively carry citizens along. And citizens pay back with absolute support. They are birds of the same feather. And they seamlessly flock together in perfect perfection.
They flow with their leaders. They trust them with unadulterated confidence. They forever remain on the same page. Over there, citizens’ undiluted loyalty isn’t to an individual. It’s undoubtedly to the state and the Constitution.
They make maximum use of their strengths. They acknowledge their weaknesses, if any. And down play them to the minimum. Their oneness of purpose is second to none. It has no near duplicate or rival. In fact, that’s one of their potent weapons of disarming their foes.
They make it a deliberate intention. To be at peace with their neighbours. At the same time. They won’t take kindly to nonsensical aggression. From any quarters. They demonstrated that over and over again in times past.
They prioritise their security. To make a telling statement to their unruly neighbours; half of their annual budget goes to security. Whatever it takes. Security of life and property will never be treated with reckless levity. They won’t be careless with it either.
There’s genuine collectiveness in all their actions and inactions. They make huge strengths out of their tiny country. They turn their negativity to positivity.
Taiwan’s outstanding successes will leave you gasping for breath. These are profound in all areas of human endeavours. Those are the takeaways our rulers must grab. And run with them. They aren’t served in a la carte. They are not given on gold platter. They are earned.
Need we say more? Nigeria certainly has a lot more to learn and gain from Taiwan. Let’s give this a prompt and deserved trial even now. And the earliest we do that, the best for us.
For sure, we would be glad we did!