By: Chidozie Nwali
At the 2025 Esri West Africa User Conference, the Surveyor General of the Nigerian Federation, Abdulganiyu Adebomehin, decried the low level of data collection for tracking locations and for the surveillance of people, trade, and energy in Africa.
He noted that Africa is far behind when compared to other continents where Geographic Information Systems (GIS) have been incorporated to build smart cities, and geospatial technologies are used to track and monitor daily movements.
He urged regional leaders and stakeholders that to achieve smart cities, Africa must harness and make effective use of Sambus Geospatial technology for tracking data and for surveying and mapping locations for any structural developments. Sambus GIS Limited is the leading distributor of Esri geospatial technology in West Africa.
The two-day Esri West Africa User Conference, hosted by Sambus Geospatial Limited, took place on September 9-10 at the Lagos Marriott Hotel in South-West Nigeria.
The event brought together geospatial technology professionals, industry experts, decision-makers, and potential clients from across West Africa under the theme, “Envisioning Tomorrow.”
In his keynote address, Surveyor Adebomehin expressed that while most African scholars write about geospatial innovation, they fall behind when it comes to the strategic planning and implementation of GIS technology in mapping out locations for project deliveries. He highlighted that when locations are not properly tagged, it leads to assumptions and errors in planning.
“But when it comes to implementation, we are not there at all,” the Surveyor General stated. “I want to say that we’ve had enough of all these theses. It is now time for implementation.” He also affirmed, “Geographical innovation is a cornerstone of national development.”
Echoing this sentiment was the Lagos State Governor, who was represented by his special adviser on urban development, Dr. Olajide Abiodun Babatunde. He also noted that to build a smart city, a GIS system is needed for accurate surveying and mapping out good locations for building projects.
“You need GIS software from where you are doing the data capture to when you are doing the data processes and implementing the geographic information service system,” he said while addressing delegates at the conference.
He ended his speech by thanking Esri for providing the geospatial software used in mapping locations for most road and other construction projects in Lagos State—West Africa’s most populous state, with over 16 million inhabitants.
Also delivering a keynote address was Dr. Matthew Adepoju, Director General of the National Space Research and Development Agency, who was represented by Dr. Jega Idris. Dr. Idris declared that GIS is no longer a side tool but a critical “instrument for national development, economic planning, climate action, public health, urban management, and food security.”
He told delegates that every sectoral decision taken at the Nigerian space agency is based on data collected using GIS software. This includes “disaster response, environmental monitoring, and smart safety initiatives.”
He also called for geospatial investments and awareness in schools by including geospatial studies in the curriculum and encouraging local innovation systems. He also called for partnerships between government institutions and private businesses.
“We must work together as governments, researchers, businesses, and citizens, harnessing the power of geospatial intelligence for inclusive and sustainable development,” he declared. “The future of West Africa, and indeed Africa, rests on our ability to turn data into knowledge, and knowledge into actions.”
A major highlight for delegates at the two-day networking conference was the exhibition tour. Delegates witnessed firsthand amazing GIS technologies like drones and had the opportunity to learn how the software and hardware work in real time in different sectors like energy, communications, and
electricity.
One delegate, Mr. Razaq Mustapha, a data analyst working with a high-tech construction company, told ThinkBusiness Africa that the conference was very impactful and that he had learned a lot from the emerging technologies.
“It has been an amazing event for me, being here in the presence of people who are shaping the future of our construction industry and seeing the emerging technologies,” he said. “It’s an amazing thing for me, and I’m glad to be part of it.”
Another delegate, Dr. Tolulope Osayomi, a geography lecturer from the University of Ibadan, described the event as “very enlightening, very educative, and very interactive.”
“We’ve had very heavy sessions, technical sessions in the last two days now, and they’ve been very insightful,” he said. “It’s also been an opportunity for me to actually refresh my memory and also my skill sets.”
The insightful presentations and interactive sessions at the Esri West Africa User Conference underscored a clear message: the time for Africa to move from theory to action is now.
As highlighted by prominent leaders and experts, the continent has the potential to leverage geospatial technology not just as a tool for planning but as a cornerstone for national development, economic growth, and the creation of truly smart cities.
The enthusiasm of the delegates, from data analysts to academics, reflects a shared readiness to embrace these solutions and turn knowledge into tangible progress.
