The Edo State Geographic Information Service (EDOGIS) has received specialized gear from the National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA) to strengthen its capabilities and dedication to geospatial data management.
The donation was made during a recent crucial training session at EDOGIS premises by the Director-General of NASDRA, who was represented by Dr. Innocent Bello, a Senior Director in the Agency. He explained that the gesture was partially in appreciation of EDOGIS’s remarkable achievement as the recipient of the Federal Government’s Best State GIS in Nigeria award in October 2024. He revealed that the goal of the hardware deployment in EDOGIS activities is to increase the organization’s capability and dedication to improved geospatial data management in Nigeria.
The hardware was handed over in a historic occasion during the recent four-day GRID³ Nigeria Project launch. The event’s participants, who were selected from various ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs) in Edo State, received four days of training to improve their proficiency in geospatial data management.
The Ministries of Education, Women’s Affairs, Environment, Physical Planning, Urban and Regional Development, and the host, EDOGIS, are among the participating MDAs. In a speech given on his behalf by Dr. Innocent Bello, the director-general of NASDRA outlined the nation’s accomplishments since NigeriaSat-1’s launch in 2003, when it joined the international space community. He claimed that the nation’s historic achievement set the stage for using remote sensing data to tackle environmental and sociocultural issues.
”Over the years, Nigeria has made significant strides in deploying geo-information technologies for disaster management, security, agriculture, telemedicine and other critical sectors.
He said, The GRID³ Nigeria Project aims to enhance the coordination, collection and management of geospatial data to ensure evidence-based policy making and equitable resource distribution, particularly benefiting vulnerable populations. The initiative will also bolster access to updated geospatial datasets for state governments, private sector players and non-governmental organisations.
“Additionally, it seeks to strengthen the capacity of data managers through hands-on training in geospatial data applications”, he declared.
In her remarks, the Managing Director, EDOGIS, Osaro Aihie, appreciated the representative of the director-general and his team for the choice of EDOGIS as the training center and assured them of the usual warmth and culture of hospitality that Edo State is known for.
