Nigeria

The Edo State Polytechnic, Usen, has concluded preparations to unveil the Centre for Geospatial Information Science (CGIS), a research and teaching unit that will utilize computer software and tools such as geographic information systems among others, to gather information for use in mining, agriculture, urban planning and health care.

CGIS will provide training and consulting services in the area of geographic information system (GIS) and other remote aerial technology sensors to gather geographic information.

The rector of the institution, Prof. Abiodun Falodun, unveiled, during an interview, that CGIS will train specialists to produce maps, tables, reports and other such materials using GIS technology. It will also offer extended courses on deployment of advanced technology in mapping and managing geographic information organizations and short introductory programmes for secondary school students..

During the 3rd... read more

Nigeria plans to develop, manufacture and launch its own satellite by 2030, according to Dr. Spencer Onu, the Center for Satellite Technology Development’s (CSTD) Director. He also added that the components needed for building the space artifact are presently being developed.

However, he also admitted that Nigeria still suffers from shortages in the application of space technology, specifically from the lack of space education in the country’s academic curricula: “Only Nigerian university has aerospace engineering—their program has been approved by the Council but has not yet started. Kogi State Polytechnic also had its own approved curriculum, but that department is yet to be initiated.”

Professor Mohammed Sheidu, the Director-General, National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA), is confident in Nigeria’s capacity to build the satellite: “The Center's engineers and scientists have demonstrated their capability by solely designing and manufacturing the... read more

A study carried out by the University of Leicester has shown the amount of rainfall many African areas receive has drastically changed in the last ten years. It is an essential factor for vegetation, which plays a vital role in African livelihoods.

The international team of researchers has mapped the entire African continent south of the Sahara regions using satellite mapping technology. The analysis of  the rainfall and greenness of plants in African regions suggests that "some parts of the Congo, Nigeria and Madagascar appear to receive much less rainfall now compared to 10 years ago," said Professor Heiko Balzter, Director of the Centre for Landscape and Climate Research at the University of Leicester and co-author of the study.

The analysis of 10 years of satellite data has been conducted together with the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission, the Institute of Electromagnetic Sensing of Environment of the National Research Council of Italy, and the... read more

The Federal Government of Nigeria has launched a National Digital Flood Model. The development of the model was a consequence of the severe flooding in 2012, which caused tremendous economic damages.

According to the Nigerian Tribune, Minister of Environment, Mrs. Laurentia Mallam said the National Digital Flood Model was specifically developed for improved monitoring and forecast nationwide, to ensure effective environmental governance and prompt response to impending flood disaster. She said “the model permits interaction between predicted hydro-meterorological data and earth surface conditions such as land-use and soil type to derive runoff which displays in 3- dimension GIS environment”.

The Africa Geospatial Forum, scheduled to take place in Lagos, Nigeria on 19 and 20 August 2014, had to be postponed due to the Ebola outbreak in the region, as the organizers announced: "Considering the wellbeing of our participants, exhibitors and sponsors, Geospatial Media and Communications and Lagos State Government are re-scheduling Africa Geospatial Forum to 9 - 10 December, 2014 at the same venue, when organising such a gathering will yield maximum benefits for all stakeholders involved."

Since it first took place in 2006, the Africa Geospatial Forum (formerly known as Map Africa) has played a significant role in bringing together the geospatial community of Africa. Its participants discuss key issues such as the current usage of geospatial technologies across the continent, technology trends and the future of the geospatial industry in the region in order to ensure the further... read more

British and Chinese satellite imaging and tracking technology will be deployed to Nigeria to help Nigerian authorities to support them in the search of the abducted Nigerian school girls.

"President Goodluck Jonathan Wednesday requested and received a commitment from Britain to deploy its intelligence gathering resources in support of Nigeria’s security agencies currently engaged in the search and rescue operation," presidential spokesman Reuben Abati said in a statement.

A month ago militants from the Boko Haram group abducted an unknown number of schoolgirls from their school. The search is still ongoing. Chinese Prime Minister visited Nigeria and reassured the Nigerian authorities that the Chinese government will provide satellite and intelligence technology to support the search.

UNSPIDER's Regional Support Office (RSO) in Nigeria (National Space Research and Development Agency - NASRDA) participated in the 2013 annual consultation of the regional committee for disaster management in West Africa (GECEAO). The event was held in Abuja – Nigeria from 4th to 6th of June 2013. The forum was organised by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the National Emergency Management Agency, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, and The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA).

The objectives of the forum were to examine the lessons learnt from 2012 disasters, preparation status for 2013 rainy season and development of recommendations (with a focus on cross-border cooperation). Participants included representatives from disaster management organization and civil protection services from the West African States. A session was organised by the UN-SPIDER RSO in Nigeria during the... read more

The website Thidaylive.com reported that the Nigerian National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) had carried out mapping of all the communities likely to be affected by the predicted 2013 flood as part of its preparedness against disaster occurrence in the country.

"NEMA’s Director General, Alhaji Mohammad Sani Sidi, explained that the agency’s action plan during a meeting with the Kogi State Governor, Capt. Idris Wada, in Abuja. He said the organisation had also carried out vulnerability capacity assessment of seven communities to determine the existing capacity in each community and its level of resilience.

Nigeria Metrological Agency (NIMET) had predicted rainfall with a possible flooding in some low plain areas. Based on this report, some states in the North-west region such as Sokoto, Kebbi, Zamfara and virtually all the South-south states have also been designated flood prone areas.

Wada informed the Director General that the state had marked out... read more

Nigeria continues to be heavily affected by floods. The country’s National Emergency Management Agency reported that floods had killed 431 people and displaced 1.3 million more. Floods had also wiped out 152,575 hectares (377,020 acres) of farmland, and Nigerians could expect rapidly rising food prices as a result. On 25 September 2012, the International Charter "Space and Major Disasters" was activated to produce maps of the flooding of the Niger and Benue River close to the city of Lokoja.

The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA's Aqua satellites captured an image of the confluence of the Niger and Benue Rivers in southern Nigeria on October 11, 2012. The comparison to an images acquired October 8, 2010 shows the extent of the floods. Both images use a combination of visible and infrared light to better distinguish... read more

The International Charter: Space and Major Disasters has been activated three times in the past two days to provide satellite imagery and maps regarding floods in Niger, Senegal and Nigeria. West African nations experience torrential rains during their annual rain season, but this season has been reported as the worst in 50 years.

In Niger, the Direction Générale de la Sécurité Civile et de la Gestion des Crises (COGIC) activated the Charter on 28 August after heavy flooding over the last few weeks caused by a severe rain season and the River Niger bursting its banks. It left 65 dead and over 100,000 homeless. The capital city of Niamey was struck by the flood waters from the River Niger, and Agadez City in the centre of Niger has also been affected. The Dosso region has suffered the worst effects of the floods, however, with an estimated ten thousand homes destroyed. Relief and international aid is being provided to help with the recovery.

In Senegal, the Charter was... read more

Nigeria's latest Earth observation satellites have returned their first pictures. The spacecraft, launched on 17 August, give the African nation a powerful new capability to map its own lands and other parts of the globe. NigeriaSat-2 and NigeriaSat-X will also assist the Disaster Monitoring Constellation. This UK-managed fleet of spacecraft is used to picture regions of the Earth gripped by natural calamities. These might be catastrophic floods or a big earthquake. Images sent down from space will often be critical to organising an effective emergency response.

The first picture released from the Nigerian pair is of New Zealand's biggest city, Auckland. It was acquired by NigeriaSat-X, and reveals the buildings and the landscape surrounding this major urban centre. It is just possible to see the wakes of ships passing under the harbour bridge that joins downtown Auckland with North Shore City. The satellite is equipped with a multi-spectral imager for general mapping,... read more

The Government of Nigeria through its National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) requested UN-SPIDER to conduct a Technical Advisory Mission to assess the use of space-based information in disaster management in Nigeria and to identify areas of improvement in the access to this kind of information and in the capacities of working with it. This mission took place from 13 to 17 June 2011.

The mission team consisted of seven experts representing the Regional Center for Training in Aerospace Surveys (RECTAS), the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), the UN Country Team Nigeria and UN-SPIDER, as well as staff from the two hosting institutions, namely the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and the National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA). The latter hosts the UN-SPIDER Regional Support Office in Nigeria.

After a mission team meeting, the experts visited NEMA and NASRDA, including visits to the COSPAS-SARSAT mission control center and the... read more