In a celebratory ceremony, the Vice-President of Nigeria Yemi Osinbajo inaugurated the National Steering and Technical Committees for GRID3 Nigeria in Abuja. The committees support Nigerian efforts to use geospatial data in the country’s continued pursuit of achieving sustainable development for everyone.

The GRID3 Nigeria National Steering Committee (NNSC) provides overall governance for GRID3’s work in Nigeria, while the GRID3 Nigeria National Technical Committee (NNTC) provides technical and managerial support for the GRID3 activities within the country.

Zainab Ahmed, Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, chairs the NNSC with Clem Ikanade Agba, Minister of State for Finance, Budget and National Planning, as co-chairman.

The NNTC is chaired by Yemi Kale, Statistician-General of the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), and co-chaired by Dr Faisal Shuaib, Executive Director at the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency (NPHCDA).

While inaugurating the committees, Osinbajo said that scope and depth of the geospatial data that will be generated by the project, represented an important step in Nigeria’s path toward realising its national development goals.

“GRID3 Nigeria has been active in the country for two years, and this inauguration is a key milestone to ensure geospatial data innovations are embraced across all sectors of society for the benefit of all Nigerians,” said Inuwa Yau, GRID3 Nigeria’s National Coordinator.

Zainab Ahmed, who presented the goals of GRID3 Nigeria and the roles and responsibilities of the committees highlighted the wide range of possible applications for GRID3 data, ranging from education and health to financial inclusion. Clem Ikanade Agba added that the project is committed to providing access to high-resolution geospatial data layers and building in-country capacity that will ensure country ownership and a strong culture promoting the use of geospatial data for development.

Image Credit: Office of the Vice President