CPC governance model: Lessons African leaders cannot afford to ignore

By Ochiaka Ugwu

July 1, will mark the 105 years Anniversary of the Communist Party of China (CPC). Party founded in 1921 with the philosophy of serving the people wholeheartedly and dedicated to work in the peoples’ interest has the reputation of continuously working towards common prosperity to ensure that the people justly benefit from the gains of modernization.

CPC integrated socialism to Chinese national condition and the needs of the times to transform China to a viable and prosperous nation leveraging on its commitment to communist ideologies and socialist beliefs. CPC’s effective and efficient leadership greatly transformed China through its constructive and strategic modernization policy which is targeted at ensuring common good for all under heaven.

However, in a continent where poverty, instability economic hardship and decayed infrastructure continue to test the capacity of social arrangement and governance, there are valuable and treasured lessons to be learned from the activities and governance style of Communist Party of China (CPC) that has embarked on modernization and strategic transformation that has transformed China for better.

Motivated by its philosophy, CPC has stayed committed to its original aspiration and founding Mission, which reflects on the Party’s remarkable century-long journey. The party has sticked to its mission statement and strived hard to elevate China to an enviable height. Leveraging on unity and dedication, it galvanized national strength to maintain strategic direction in repositioning the Chinese society ensuring steady and sustained progress amid economic uncertainties.

No doubt, CPC confronted Chinese challenges with resilience, sacrifice, courage, intelligence, and decisive action. It has always stood at the forefront of the times, bore pressing responsibilities and remained in the forefront of the Chinese nation. The party applied disciplined and effective leadership to entrench quality lifestyle for the People. The unwavering CPC leadership has earned widespread attention for its aggressive and proactive response to the needs and aspirations of ordinary Chinese people.

For African leaders, there is need to initiate an honest and workable national strategic plan that will be sustainable, achievable and resonate with the people. It may be akin to Chinese Five-Year-Plan, but must be domesticated locally to suit the region’s condition and real situation. The concept whichever way it is fashioned must be followed with strong implementation support with high spirit of nationalism, resilience and personal sacrifice which must be vigorously pushed even if it exceeds expectation as it progresses.

To achieve this sacrifice and true sense of nationalism. It means that hard work and discipline should be the watchword no matter the disruption that may arise in the course of its execution. They need to focus more on visible outcomes, striving to go with the people, manage the concept religiously and support the development of the region with all their strength and true determination to achieve economic transformation.

At a time when China was going through hard transformation, passing through thick and thin and seeking for greater good for greater number, CPC did not only stand with the people, but through immense sacrifice adopted an initiative that really worked for the people and transited China from a third world country to a great economy that the whole world is looking upon in terms of learning pragmatic development concept. The Chinese experience under CPC offers useful insights that African leader can adopt its ongoing modernization model engineered by its President, Xi Jinping aligning it with the reality on ground based on inherent local needs.

Over the past hundred years, the Party has led the people to a number of important landmarks recording great achievement in the road to modernization and transformation serious commitment and unalloyed loyalty to peoples’ interest. Through self-reliance, sheer determination, disciplined and proactive leadership China attained great success in reform, opening-up, and socialist modernization by fierce planning and harnessing talents leveraging on the fine line it established and executed for mutual benefits and shared prosperity.

In the face of global changes, such as increasing instability, economic uncertainty, insecurity, climate action, geo political shift and mounting mistrust, this is also an opportunity for Africa to reflect on the CPC’s journey and how it developed, maintained and sustained its strength in staying true to the people and achieving the great feat that is getting commendation around the globe.

Africa occupies a strategic position in the global social and development recompose, often referred as the continent of opportunities and possibilities. It has the youngest population in the world, with 70% of sub-Saharan Africa under the age of 30. Such a high number of young people is an opportunity for the continent’s growth, but unfortunately there is no real high-tech labour mechanism readily to absorb this young population as the continent has not fully harnessed its potentials to support its rising population. This shows that much need to be done in terms of massive development of infrastructure that will usher in the enabling environment to position these young minds to fully realize their potentials to work and innovate. This reality of Africa’s underdevelopment has made the region unstable characterized by high unemployment and under employment, insecurity, poverty and decayed infrastructure earning the reputations as safe havens for exploiters. Given this fact, there is need for an accelerated development of the region for social coercion and stability. Rather than relying solely on conventional responses, Africa should adopt a strategy built on local dynamics that is suitable to their regional situation. The leaders should be ready to confront the challenges regardless of what it would take, drawing strength from the China’s experience under CPC by conscientizing the people through quality education and national orientation to stay true to the regional aspiration and help in developing and building a viable state of their dream.

Development experts have long argued that home grown solution remains the backbone of successful economic transformation. The leaders need to anchor African priorities on the international agenda to ensure that the path taking serves the people, strengthens the economies, and most importantly, advances their shared priorities. The ability to integrate the people, involve them in national activities, consider them first in taking drastic decisions and earning their trust determines whether any development intervention will succeed or fail.

The China’s experience appeared to validate this principle, as Chinese modernization is a great cause that includes all Chinese people with strengthened unity and diligence.

Africa’s ongoing efforts and desire to develop and achieve economic prosperity for its peoples to ensure improved lifestyle, restore peace and stability could benefit from lessons learnt across different stages of China’s modernization journey piloted by CPC. Among those lessons is the reality that unity of purpose and hard work, backed by firm political will and support of the people, can produce meaningful outcomes in building a modern state.

In an era where Africans yearn for stable society, developed system, infrastructural and industrial transformation, safer communities, strong and sustainable institutions, the China experience under CPC remains a reminder that effective, disciplined leadership and unwavering determination could make a significant difference in building a viable system for human society.