Experts have explained that geographic mapping of urban settlements, population, mineral and natural resources, property location, unsecured locations, disaster areas, among other strategic sectors in the society could help the government plan well.
They say that the current war against insecurity in the country could be tackled via appropriate utilisation of mapping systems, especially with unmanned aerial systems.
They also noted the importance of space technology and geospatial technology and stressed the need to deploy them for sustainable development.
Space technology, a technology related to entering, retrieving objects or life forms from space have been evident in areas like weather forecast, remote sensing, Global Positioning Systems (GPS), satellite television and some long distance communications systems that rely on space infrastructure.
Geospatial technology collects and analyses the geospatial data (any data that is indicated by or related to a geographic location).
Experts stressed the need for Nigeria to deploy space and geospatial technologies to boost sustainable development and good governance.
Prof Jide Kufoniyi of Department of Surveying and Geoinformatics, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, described mapping system as the technology for the acquisition, processing, management and dissemination of Geospatial Information (GI).
Kufoniyi further said that geospatial information is any information referenced to a location, while a mapping system would include geospatial data acquisition equipment, such as satellite and aerial platforms carrying appropriate sensors.
He listed geospatial data acquisition tools as land and hydrographic surveying equipment, data processing, management and dissemination equipment, such as computers and appropriate software.
The don explained that geospatial information of any location can be acquired in spite being manned, unmanned, accessible or not, secured or not.
“We only need to use the appropriate mapping system and technique. If it is a dangerous environment that is unsafe for human involvement in the data acquisition, we can use images from Earth Observation Satellites or Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) depending on the level of accuracy and details required.
“The current war against insecurity in the country will be significantly assisted by appropriate utilisation of mapping systems, especially with unmanned aerial systems. ‘’
He acknowledged that this technology had been in existence over time, but the country had lagged behind in deploying it for a better society.
Kufoniyi explained that lack of adequate access to earth observation satellite images, inadequate geodetic infrastructure for mapping purposes, especially for applications such as urban and land management in cities with multi-level buildings, which require 3D geospatial data had impeded deploying the technology.
He listed other problems to include non-digital geospatial information archives, insufficient capacity utilisation and poor knowledge transfer, obsolete system of training geospatial professionals, technologists and technicians in map productions.
He added that lack of adequate awareness by national GI producers on the benefits of the technology have contributed to its challenges.
“Changes are often so rapid for organisations and personnel to catch up with, there is inadequate infrastructure support, especially power and ICT.
“The government on its part has failed to yield to the consistent call to properly fund mapping activities.
“Not less than 2.5 per cent of the national budget each year has been generally advocated, but the amount allocated is often typically a far cry from this percentage,’’ he said.
The don said that good governance and sustainable development require access to fit-for-purpose geospatial information because according to him, whatever we do, whatever that happens, happens somewhere.
He said that citizens and governments need to be enabled to answer the spatial question of where every development activity is.
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