GRID3: NASRDA Charges States On Geospatial Data

The National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA) has commenced training for geospatial data producers in states within the Northern region, urging them to ensure availability of data that would enable development.
The training is organised under the Geo-Referenced Infrasturcture and Demographic Data for Development (GRID3) project implemented through NASRDA in collaboration with other stakeholders.
GRID3 is part of a bigger global initiative programme aimed at improving access to data for decision making among the member countries.
Head, Cadastral Mapping and Urban Space Applications Division of NASRDA, Dr Matthew Adepoju disclosed this in an interview with the newsmen in Abuja.
Adepoju, also Chairman, GRID3 Project Implementation Team, said the training piloted in six states, including the FCT according to geo-political zone, began on April 6 and expected to end on April 30.
The states for the pilot training included Kaduna for North Central, Niger for North West, Bauchi for North East, Lagos for South West, Enugu for South East and Cross River for South South regions.
Adepoju said the North regional training started on April 6 and expected to end April 16, while the second phase for Sourthern region would hold from April 19 to 30.
Adepoju explained geospatial data as data or information that have explicit association with a location relative to the Earth or a technology that allows for mapping of locations.
The project chairman further disclosed that with the training, state governments are expected to share the geospatial data of resources in their states, their locations on the GRID3 portal.
“GRID3 Nigeria project aims to increase access to data for use by State government decision makers, donor agencies, non-profit organisations, private sector partners through the continuous availability of a robust and updated GRID3 geodatabase.
“It also aims to improve capacity of data managers to make data available to be integrated into planning processes for decision makers through capacity building activities across the country.
“The ultimate goal of the project is to ensure that Nigerian people, particularly the poor and vulnerable, benefit from an evidence-based resource distribution and data driven policy-making by decision makers,” he said.
He added that the project would also increase coordination in the collection and management of data in Nigeria through the GRID3 portal.
According to him, with Nigeria joining comity of space faring nations in 2003 and the launch of NigeriaSat-1 satellite, have provided opportunity for scientists to engage in research using remote sensing data.