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.
“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, he said Friday at the launch of theEconomic Value of Geospatial Services in Nigeria.
“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.
“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.
“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.
We hope to see even more value as increasing numbers of people use tools like Google Street View to explore Nigeria,” he said.
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