THISDAYonline

Minister of Science and Technology, Professor Turner Isoun, stated that poverty can only be eradicated with the knowledge of the quantum and spread of the nation's natural resources to enable their sustainable exploitation. This is as Nigeria prepares to launch the Nigeriasat-1 in June. It is expected to form a major source of data acquisition for the National Geo-Information System (NAGIS) and the National Geo-spatial Data Infrastructure (NGDI).

Isoun, represented by the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Dr. Casmir Orjioke, at the first stakeholders/users workshop on national geo-spatial data infrastructure organised by the National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA) in Abuja recently, said that the successful establishment of NGDI in Nigeria is realizable, as successes in other countries give grounds for optimism about its prospects Nigeria's rapid socio-economic development.

Isoun stressed that sustainable development can be achieved "only if we have access to reliable data, information, knowledge and understanding about our environment and natural resources including socio-economic development opportunities such as existing and planned local infrastructure."

The newly inaugurated committee of experts to produce a National geo-information policy for Nigeria will also present a draft of the policy document at the workshop slated to end on Wednesday.

Explaining the usefulness of geo-information, Isoun said that it is vital for optimising the productive use of the human and natural resources just as it can enhance the communication capacity as well as place the nation at comparative advantage to attract foreign investment and also facilitate direct development to meet maximum human needs at lowest environment cost.

Isoun said the vision of his ministry is to ensure that Geo-spatial Information (GI) permeates every aspect of the society and is available to people who need them, when they need them and in a form that they can use them to make decisions.

He stressed that the importance of investing in the development of Spatial Data Infrastructure (SDI) and said that geo-information is as important as other infrastructural development like building of roads and telecommunication and said that the development of SDI would facilitate a coordinated effort in the development and use of geo-information. "The current situation where efforts are duplicated, institutions pursue singular uncoordinated agenda and role players continue to capture and analyse data in a way that makes it difficult to combine effectively will become a thing of the past."

According to Isoun, the objectives of the workshop was to create greater awareness of and promote public access to standard and coordinated geo-spatial data and the need for the establishment of a Geo-spatial clearing House at various levels in the country.

The workshop was also to identify and recognise major stakeholders and users in the production, management and utilization of geo-spatial data and information products in Nigeria.

"To appraise the participants of various ongoing related projects and programmes in Nigeria, particularly the national Geographic information system (NAGIS). To articulate the roles of stakeholders in the development of NGDI, especially data rights roles and responsibilities" as well as to map out immediate activities to be taken by all stakeholders towards the development of NGDI and propose the contents of a national geo-information policy for Nigeria.

Earlier, the Director General of the National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA), Professor R.A. Boroffice, had explained that satellite data is now responsible for over 90 per cent of all credible and cost-effective data being currently used and that over 80 per cent of all planning and decision-making processes are anchored on geo-information.

According to Boroffice, NASRDA places "very high premium, in terms of project development, on the role and usefulness of space technology in socio-economic development, particularly in the areas of communication, management of ecosystems and biodiversity, management of fresh water resources, food security and sustainable health, access to energy and energy efficiency unsustainable patterns of consumption and production, as well as management of floods, desertification and deforestation, livelihoods and strengthening the system of democracy and spatial aspect of governance."

Boroffice noted also that reliable space-acquired data, with their synoptic, multi-temporal and multi-spectral characteristics are now widely available in both low and high resolution formats, and are being used, globally and on a continuous basis to address all these problems.

He said that such data, in a geographically, referenced format, are also finding wide application in the production of relevant maps and data on the state of every aspect of our life support systems.

"It is thus imperative that maps and goe-spatial data should be recognised as part of a nation's infrastructure, just as a network of transportation, healthcare, education, telecommunications and water supply system are."

He reiterated that NASRDA's acquisition of manpower in satellite technology, through the critical mass of trained engineers and scientist, would become a reality when 15 Nigerians who are being trained in the United Kingdom would complete their training programme.

"Similarly, the NigeriaSat-1 will be due for launching by the middle of this year 2003. NASRDA is also embarking on the next generations of satellites: a communication satellite to be called NigcomSat-1 and a high-resolution African Resources Management constellation (ARMC) satellite NigeriaSat-2. The later will be developed in the overall interest and objectives of the New partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD)", he said. In order to streamline the interaction between space technology and the objectives set by the federal government to improve the quality of life of its people, NASRDA has also laid foundations for some programmes on space application support for sustainable development. The programmes include the development of Fadama Land Information System, which is expected to boost rice production in Nigeria and the use of remote sensing and GIS for early warning and prevention of meningitis.