Until the early 80s, Shenzhen, now one of China’s top four cities, was on its knees. Like the rest of China, poverty was a friend to many of its inhabitants. All it took to change this city’s fortune — and by extension, China’s fortune — was a right decision by a focused leadership. The government of the time had no money to spend in developing the city so it declared the city a special economic zone.
Foreign investors were encouraged with all manners of incentives. The first focus was on how to reform the nation’s telecommunications sector, which was in a terrible state. Like it was in Nigeria at the time, the telephone was for the rich. The investors changed all that and in a few years, the telephone became for all. This era gave birth to Huawei, now a giant in the global telecommunications world. I must point out that as at 1980, which marked the end of two decades of hardship and internal conflict in China, the country only had a telephone penetration rate of 0.22%, which was one of the lowest rates in the world at the time. Before the reforms, telephone lines were restricted only to senior government officials. This, according to the World Bank, was also at a time when the poverty rate was 88% and the number of registered vehicles stood at 365,000.
I saw pictures of the old Shenzhen. There is no link between the pictures I saw and the Shenzhen I spent four days last week. Like they say in Seven Up commercials, the difference is clear. The architectures are a world apart; the infrastructures are incomparable. The people have become sophisticated. And the country is better for Shenzhen’s growth from the back of the world to being known as a technology and financial hub. This green city shares a border with Hong Kong, the Chinese city which practices capitalism unlike the rest of the country — a development which gave rise to the slogan “one country, two systems”. The infrastructural edge of Shenzhen can be gleaned from the fact that it boasts of a speed train capable of taking passengers in fifteen minutes to Hong Kong. Call it a plane on land and you will not be far from the truth.
I will always remember my visit to the city’s tallest building known as Free Sky. The 118-floor (600 metres) structure built to withstand wind is the world’s fourth tallest building and China’s second tallest. China’s number one is in Shanghai— the country’s Lagos. It is known as Shanghai Tower and is 632 metres long. The Free Sky, also known as the Ping An Finance Centre, offers a 360-degree panoramic view of Shenzhen and Hong Kong. Its observation elevator takes tourists to the 116th floor within 55 seconds. On the 116th floor, where fee-paying visitors are ushered daily, there is the highest glass-floor cantilever observation deck, which is 541 metres above the ground.
In Shenzhen, nothing is wasted. The top of most skyscrapers, especially non-residential ones, are helipads. Shenzhen is home to millions, and the government knows that policing will not be a tea party, so everywhere has closed-circuit television cameras. Police on motorcycles, on cars and on legs are regular features of the beautiful city. In major malls and other places thronged by crowd, the presence of police is as constant as the sun. I certainly do not need to mention that power never fails in Shenzhen!
Another amazing place in Shenzhen, which is evidence of a thinking lot, is the wonder named Window of the World. Nothing forewarned me of what to expect. The idea behind Window of the World is for visitors to have a picturesque tour of the world in one place. If you say that the world is in Shenzhen, you will not be wrong. Without leaving Shenzhen, I visited Manhattan; I saw the statue of liberty; I was at the Niagara Fall; I saw France’s Notre Dame and took a brief excursion to the Pyramid of Egypt. I also did not miss the opportunity to spend some time at the Brasilia Parliament. I must not forget to say I visited France’s Ivory Tower. All these places, which are in different parts of the world, are brought under one roof for me by Shenzhen. In Window of the World, miniature versions of these historical heritages have found a home. The miniatures look so real and if you take pictures in them and claim to have visited the real ones, many will believe you.
Other global heritages on display at the Window of the World are: the glass pyramid of Louvre in France, the grand palace of Thailand, India’s Taj Mahal, the relief wall of civilisation, Japan’s Shirasagi Castle, Egypt’s Great Temple of Abu Simbel, Kenya National Park, the White House, the Capitol, Flying over America and many more. Going from one heritage to the other was like taking a course in global history. Most Chinese, who have not been outside their country, have been educated about global history while having fun moving round Window of the World.
Shenzhen reinforced my belief that our inability to solve our power challenge is a major drawback for us. If Shenzhen is like Nigeria, certainly residents of its skyscrapers will be long dead. A place like Window of the World will be long dead and crime will be high because the CCTV that is helping to keep crime in check will not work properly and criminals will have a field day. Businesses that are thriving will be long gone. Huawei, one of Shenzhen’s pride, would have been unable to run its research and development centre. This massive centre has a train system which takes staff and visitors around.
Electricity is key here. Aside from the electricity challenge, which we seem incapable of resolving, our education system, which suffered under the military, is still suffering. Universities are no longer great. Students are no longer tutored and mentored by star local and foreign lecturers. Hostels are now bedbug-invested. Our primary, secondary and tertiary health institutions are no longer world class. From what I saw, and what I was told of how things changed for China, focus, determination, resilience and punishing defaulters were key.
My final take: Nigeria cannot remain like this. Our pace is too slow. Slow and steady do not always win the race. This is the time to run. We have been walking all these years and we have not made much progress. Let us do a marathon and even if this means many people falling by the wayside, so be it. The important thing here is that things must change.
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