Google Maps, Street View Will Boost Tourism in Nigeria – Minister

The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has

stressed the need to leverage on technology, particularly digital

mapping, to boost tourism in Nigeria.

 

The Minister stated this in Abuja on Friday at the launch of the

Economic Value of Geospatial Services in Nigeria.

 

“As we look to make Nigeria a major tourism destination in Africa,

technologies such as Google Maps, but more specifically Street View

put forward by Google, will become increasingly important on that

front. We hope to see even more value as increasing numbers of people

use tools like Google Street View to explore Nigeria,” he said.

 

Alhaji Mohammed said geospatial technology will not only benefit local

users but that it is also a veritable tool that can also be incredibly

powerful in drawing tourists to the country.

 

“We know this because we’ve seen the impact that StreetView has had in

destinations around Africa. In South Africa, for instance, people can

take a guided tour of Robben Island, the prison which held Nelson

Mandela and many other South African freedom fighters during

apartheid.

 

“In Kenya, meanwhile, users can take virtual treks through some of the

country’s most famous game reserves. And in Tanzania, people can get

up close and personal with the chimpanzees of Gombe National Park,

thanks to a partnership between Google and the Jane Goodall

foundation.

 

“These are all examples of how giving people a taste of a place they

have not visited is a powerful incentive to get them to experience the

real thing. We look forward to doing the same in Nigeria, as we show

off our own natural and cultural heritage,” he said.

 

The Minister said the interconnectedness between technology and

tourism will assist in bringing in foreign capital as well as the

growth of other industries including hospitality, retail and

transport.

 

“It also promotes and encourages patronage of local agriculture and

creative industries as well as manufactured products by operators in

the tourism industry. That’s especially important as we look to cement

our place as Africa’s largest economy,” he said.

 

Alhaji Mohammed, who commended the laudable initiative by Google, said

the ability to simply search for a location and get real-time

directions there has made the lives of the people much more

convenient.

 

“I’d like to say that events such as this one offer a powerful

reminder of how impactful partnerships between government and private

companies like Google can be – to grow our local businesses and

strengthen our economy. If digital mapping services have made such a

difference in the last five years, we can only imagine what the next

five will bring. We look forward to growing this fruitful relationship

in the coming years and seeing what Google comes up with next,” he

said.