NIGECS is a synthesis of multivariate and multi-dimensional information to help unearth and understand the dynamics of the population groups and their residential areas. NIGECSS is the first interactive repository for geographical and statistical information about the 774 LGAs in Nigeria.
It represents the first attempt in Nigeria to provide online contextual and analytical geodata about socio-economic data down to LGA –amazing. This wonderful website was delivered by our very own Dr Adegbola Ojo of African Higher Education and Research Observatory (AFRIHERO), Sheffield, UK.
Dr Ojo is a seasoned expert in geodemographics, Geographical Information Science (GIS) and spatial analysis. A recipient of multiple international awards, Dr Ojo is credited with developing the first set of open-source small area segmentation systems that address the policy needs of developing countries. One of such recent developments is the Nigerian LGA Geodemographic Classification System and Profiler (NIGECSS). (source: http://www.afrihero.org.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=103&Itemid=63)
The system represents the first attempt ever documented in the history of Nigeria to use Google map as the platform for disseminating huge volume of data to reach a wider audience. This feat would have been difficult hitherto using traditional tabular databases. I found the application to be intuitively easy to use, refreshing and very useful The rate of data refresh is also incredible as it makes it very easy to move from one theme to the other in a relatively easy flash.
Although the portal has the ambience of an academic project (that is not surprising as the brain behind it has an academic background), it however was well thought out, well managed and most importantly very informative. Each of the 774 LGA in Nigeria was classified into 6 geodeomgraphic clusters i.e. SuperTown, Emerging Localities, Intermediate Territories, Diluted societies, Country dwelling, and finally Urban Nodes.
If properly used, this portal could assist Jonathan’s administration to achieve the strategic planning required to liberate Nigeria from its socio-economic quagmire it is currently languishing. Okonjo Iweala needs an integrated solutions like the NIGECS to make informed planning and investment decisions.
This initiative is a classic example of data begging to be used by the Nigerian government. The icing on the cake is that this huge data is online and FREE. The implication of this are:
- By being online, it means it is available to anyone that is interested and has internet connection. The ITU reported that some 43,982,200 people have access to the internet in Nigeria as at June 2010. This represents some 28.3% of Nigerian population (source:http://www.internetworldstats.com/africa.htm.) Going by the heavy investment in under sea cable by Globacom, MainOne cable, to complement the NITEL SAT-3 means that this number could easily double or triple in a few years from now. This implies that this website and its excellent data content could potentially be available to more than 30% of Nigerian population in a couple of years from today –amazing.
- Google map is evidently the most widely used online free map data application. I remembered screaming with delight in 2008 when I started noticing Nigerian street map data appearing in Google map. This could be as a result of Tele Atlast’s acquisition of Geo-Origin of South Africa. By using Google map platform, NIGECS is making this amazing GIS solution available to traditional non-GIS experts without being mandated to buy expensive GIS software like MapInfo Professional or even the mighty ESRI ArcGIS. An individual interested in this application does not need to spend time and money learning complex GIS software to benefit from it
- GIS students, University researchers and other interested individuals within the academic community now have access to a wealth of FREE information. This would especially be useful in academic researches where the non-availability of such socio-econmic data at LGA level had always been a show stopper.
How can the Federal, State and Local governments benefit from this portal?
The data provided geographic spread of Nigerian socio-economic data along 12 important indices. They are:
- Geodemographic clusters
- Agriculture
- Community Safety
- Demographics
- Education
- Employment
- Health
- Household Infrastructure
- Housing
- Poverty Wealth
- Socio-economics
- Women & Children
To me, this NIGECS is the best thing to have happened to Nigeria since Atlanta 1996 when Nigerian Golden Eaglets won the Olympic Gold.
The ONLY thing I would love to see integrated on the portal is what MapInfo Professional called the INFO tool and ArcGIS calls the IDENTIFY tool. This small, almost inconsequential functionality allows a user to use it and click on any part of the map data to retrieve back-end attribution data. This makes it entirely possible for a user to complement the spatial diagram with analytical attributes to make informed decision. This functionality in Google map is called WHAT IS HERE and can be activated by right clicking anywhere on the map canvass. I believe that this tool will certainly enhance its ultimate usefulness.
I had a chat with Dr Ojo recently to know more about the source of funding for this project and he confirmed that the project was funded by the University of Sheffield. I was curious to find out the role that the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) and the National Population Commission (NPC) played in this project. Dr Ojo said that it took him about a year to secure the data used for the application from NBS and he had to personally pay to acquire the data.
He added, “during the same period (as part of my doctoral research), I developed a similar system for the Philippines at a much detailed geographic scale (yet to be web-enabled). We secured the Philippines data FREE of charge within three months without much hassle.”
My advice to NPC and NBS is to contact Dr Ojo and come up with a framework for collaboration. One way is to provide him with updated data to power this amazing online application. An innovative and informative portal like this would always be relevant for strategic planning that could underpin Nigerian government's milliennial vision for as long as it is powered by the most upated data. By collaborating with Dr Ojo, premium statistical data could be provided as GIS data right from the websites of NPC and NBS to the general public for a fee. This collaboration could open up a vista of business opportunities to the NBS which could assist in defraying some of the data capture and management cost. We are probably looking at a multi-billion naira revenue here.
The website asserted that the Nigerian system is the first African open source geo-demographic classification system recognised in academic literature. It therefore leads the way for a new era of unbiased approach to understanding a wide range of issues within the public sector, private sector and indeed the academia.
This is a good write up Ireti Ajala. Your article underscores what i have always known that Nigerians abroad are very resourceful and innovative. The Nigerian govt needs to devise a way to tap into this huge resource just the like the Indian govt is doing. -Toks
ReplyDeleteThanks Toks. We know it is difficult for decision makers in Nigeria to notice a number of things, we on our part will continue to nudge them into looking at things from different perspective.
ReplyDelete