A nation has to be big enough to have a large direct market to sell to, to draw on for quality employees and to permit skilled people to escape the chains of their tiny village... or it will not grow commercially. It can't.
The history of industrial development is the history of market size. Holland was the first developing nation with a world market, superb workers and an entrepot of diverse people. England was the second and America was the third. All three of these nations had enough room for people to escape the chains of their tribal or family village and these nations encouraged people to do it.
In the 20th Century there were two nations that appear to have been exceptions but weren't. Israel and Singapore. Both are in the top ranks of successful industrial societies. Israel had three times the number of Jews and Israelis outside the country as inside. The same was true for Singapore with the vast network of Overseas Chinese.
Most of Africa will never have chance. Venezuela, Cuba, Burma, Syria, North Korea and the other small tyrannies will remain in the toilet.