Still wondering the benefits of Google map to the Nigerian
economy, then listen to what the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji
Lai Mohammed, said, leveraging on technology, particularly digital mapping, will
boost tourism in Nigeria, reports ITRealms.
The Minister disclosed in Abuja on Friday at the launch of
the Economic Value of Geospatial Services in Nigeria, stressing that the
country looks forward becoming a major tourism destination in Africa, technologies
such as Google Map, 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.
A press statement by the Special Assistant to Hon Minister
of Information and Culture, Segun Adeyemi, made available to ITRealms, quoted Mohammed as saying,
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.
Also, 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.
Uboshe Uboshe/GEE
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