Dr. G. I. Agbaje Joint SDINICI Working Session, UNECA, 2023 Nov., 2006 Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

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Nigerian National Geospatial Data Infrastructure
Programme Developmental Process A Case Study
Dr. Ganiy I. Agbaje Space Applications
Department National Space Research and
Development Agency (NASRDA) Abuja,
Nigeriagagbaje_at_nasrda.net
Presentation at the Joint SDI/NICI Working
Session organised by United Nations Economic
Commission for Africa (UNECA) 20 23 November
2006Abuja, Nigeria
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Presentation Outline

• Introduction
• GDI/SDI Driving Forces
• NGDI Development Process
• Concept
• Past Initiatives
• Policy Drafting Committee - Composition ToR
• International Stakeholders Workshop
• GDI Implementation Elements
• National Geoinformation Policy in Brief
• Implementation Strategies
• Organisational/Technical Framework
• NGDI Committee, Sub-Committee and Working Groups
• Acknowledgements
• Progress Up-date
• Challenges/Problems
• Conclusion

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Introduction

• Sustainable Development of any nation depends on
  access to reliable and adequate geospatial
  information (GI).
• Root Causes of Underdevelopment
• Poor Quality of Data Collection and Management
  Practices
• Lack of adequate data infrastructure and
• Lack of skilled human capacity in natural
  resources and environmental management
• Consequences - Food Insecurity
• - Air Water Pollution
• - Environmental Degradation etc.
• Solution
• Design, implementation, and maintenance of
  mechanisms to facilitate the sharing, access to,
  and responsible use of geospatial data at an
  affordable cost for various applications.

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Introduction contd.

• GDI/SDI Driving Forces
• Growing importance of geographic information
  within an information society
• The need for governments to coordinate data
  acquisition and availability
• GI is crucial to promote economic development,
  improve our stewardship of resources and to
  protect the environment
• (President Clintons Executive Order)
• Other factors
• Opportunities created by recent technological
  developments e.g. WWW
• Modernising government eGovernment
• (Source Masser, 2005)

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Introduction contd.

• Realisation of the objectives of a nationals
  socio-economic development programmes depends on
  availability of and speedy access to Geospatial
  Information (GI)
• Technically ICT permits GI sharing and growth BUT
  the problem of data sharing goes beyond
  technical!
• Organisations/Institutions are not accustomed to
  working together hence not willing to share
  data.
• The National GI Policy will provide a platform
  for data sharing and hence easy accessibility

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National Geospatial Data Infrastructure

• NGDI Concept
• Discovery, Harmonisation and Standardisation of
  geospatial data production and management, and
  the provision of a platform for data sharing
  thereby eliminating data duplication and
  conserving cost and time spent in producing
  already existing data.
• Impact of GIS on Geoinformation Management
• Revolutionised
• The process of data acquisition, storage,
  processing, and dissemination and
• The Use of GI in digital format for planning and
  decision making
• Awareness led to Integrated Resource Management
  System (IRMS)/National Geographic Information
  System (NAGIS) Project proposed to NPC
  (Nigeria)
• Transferred to NASRDA (FMST) in 2002
• However, to promote greater awareness and public
  access to standard and coordinated geo-spatial
  production, management and dissemination by all
  sectoral institutions with linkages to private
  sector, NAGIS was changed to NGDI.

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National Geospatial Data Infrastructure 2

• Past Initiatives
• Major Associations/Parastatals of note that have
  presented several position papers and memorandums
  in the past are
• Nigerian Institution of Surveyors
• Nigeria Cartographic Association
• National Planning Commission
• To achieve its objective NASRDA put in place
  modalities to achieve a National Geoinformation
  Policy.
• An NGDI backed by a National Policy will
  certainly eliminate most of the problems
  experienced by geoinformation producers and users
  in the country.

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National Geoinformation Policy

• National Drafting Committee Composition
• A 10-member drafting Committee inaugurated by
  Hon. Minister FMST 21 November 2002

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National Geoinformation Policy

• National Drafting Committee Terms of Reference
• To provide a National Geoinformation Policy in
  which specific mission, goals, objectives,
  conceptual framework, implementation strategies,
  institutional arrangements, legal issues and
  finance are clearly defined
• To produce a national Geoinformation Policy which
  will adequately address the collective interest
  of the Geoinformation Community in the following
  areas
• Assessment of existing and future Geoinformation
  needs
• Implementation of standards
• Expansion of investment in the collection of
  critical geospatial data
• Documentation of Geoinformation resources and
  wide publication of such information
• Promotion of greater public access to
  Geoinformation
• Investment in human capacity for the application
  of Geoinformation.
• Protection of stake-holders interest and their
  data

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National Geoinformation Policy

• International Stakeholders Workshop
• Prior to the submission of the draft GI policy in
  September 2003, it was a subject of an
  International workshop in February 2003.
• The Workshop serves as a major strategy to bring
  GI stakeholders together and began the process of
  partnering on GI related matters.
• A watershed in the history of our collective
  aspiration to establish NGDI in Nigeria
• Provides the opportunity to identify and
  recognize major stakeholders and users in the
  production, management and utilization of
  geo-spatial data and information products in
  Nigeria.

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National Geoinformation Policy

• Policy Implementation Strategies
• Common Elements
• Co-ordination
• Given the large number of data sets produced by
  different producers at different times for
  different purposes
• Core data sets
• The need for a common framework of core reference
  data sets
• Metadata
• The need to be able to find out what data exists
  and what format is used and what is its currency
• (Source Masser, 2005)

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Nigerian Geoinformation Policy

• Policy Implementation Strategies
• Differences Institutional Context
• Variations in size and population
• US 1000 times the size of Qatar
• Differences in wealth
• Both developed and less developed countries
• Contrasting systems of government
• Federal systems with varying degrees of
  devolution of responsibilities for GI
• Non federal systems where most of GI
  responsibilities dealt with centrally
• (Source Masser, 2005)

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Nigeria
Niger
Chad
Benin
Nigeria Statistics Area of 923,768 Sq. Km ø 4
-14 N ? 3 -15 E Population 140
million 10th Largest in Africa 36 States 774
Local Govts.
Cameroon
Gulf of Guinea
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Nigerian Geoinformation Policy

• In Brief
• The National Geoinformation Policy is divided
  into three parts made up of 13 Chapters that
  addressed the following issues
• Geospatial Datasets
• Standards
• Metadata
• Legal Issues
• Data Access Data Security
• Organisational Aspects
• Commercial Aspects
• Capacity Building
• Administrative Organisational Framework
• Related National International Policies
  Legislation
• Legal Framework
• Electronic copy available at www.nasrda.net
  www.rectas.org

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Nigerian Geoinformation Policy

• Policy Implementation Strategies
• Carry out User Requirements Survey and Analysis
• Make provision for immediate production of
  non-existent but essential fundamental datasets
  by the agency legally mandated to produce them
• Datasets producers to be custodian while making
  metadata available to the NGDI Clearinghouse
• Develop geospatial data standards for the NGDI
• Define metadata content and structure for the
  NGDI
• Set-up 27- member NGDI Committee

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Nigerian Geoinformation Policy

• Policy Implementation Strategies (Contd)
• Establish Clearinghouses by creating Geospatial
  Data Catalogues in NGDI node agencies
• Put in place high-speed and high-bandwidth
  backbone carrier in the apex Clearinghouse as the
  main gateway and master server and implement a
  database server at each NGDI node agency.
• Encourage indigenous personnel with relevant
  skills in acquisition and analysis of GI in the
  country by ensuring that all GI related projects
  are locally implemented to a minimum of 75.
• Ensure adequate fiscal provisions and funding of
  the NGDI

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Nigerian Geoinformation Policy

• Policy Implementation
• NGDI Council
• Members
• His Excellency, The Vice President of the
  Federal Republic of
• Nigeria - CHAIRMAN
• Hon. Minister of Agriculture Rural Development
• Hon. Minister of Defence
• Hon. Minister of Environment
• Hon. Minister of Science and Technology
• Hon. Minister of Solid Minerals
• Hon. Minister of Water Resources
• Hon. Minister of Works
• NASRDA to administer the NGDI through the
  organisational Framework as shown in the next
  figure

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NGDI Organisational Framework
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NGDI Technical Framework
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NGDI Committee
Terms Maximum of 2 terms of 2 years each
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Functions of the NGDI Committee

• Develop the phases of implementation of the NGDI
  project
• Coordinate the GI related activities of all NGDI
  node agencies
• Develop, streamline and enforce standards and
  policies for the infrastructure
• Appraise the manpower potentials of the nation in
  all sectors for a successful realization of the
  NGDI
• Mobilize local funding as well as foreign
  assistance whether technical or financial
• Create Sub-Committees within it for specific
  tasks as necessary
• Co-opt any person (s) it considers relevant in
  its function
• Sustain at all times, the tempo or momentum of
  change that will remain a necessary tonic for the
  realisation of the NGDI project

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NGDI Sub-Committees

• Sub-Committees
• Geospatial Dataset
• Clearing House Metadata
• Sustainability Funding
• Capacity Building
• Legal
• Standards
• Working Groups
• Each Sub-Committee is allowed to create a number
  of Working Groups for the effective
  implementation of their mandate.
• Judging from this structure can NGDI
  Implementation be fully contractor-based?

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Acknowledgement

• Indian SDI Strategy
• The SDI Cook Book
• Geospatial Data Infrastructure Concepts, cases
  and good practice
• by R. Groot and J. McLaughlin
• South African SI Bill
• UK GI strategy
• Ghana Draft Policy
• ANZLIC (Australia and New Zealand Land
  Information Council)
• Federal Geographic Data Committee
• Global Spatial Data Infrastructure website
  

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Progress Up-date

• Geospatial Information Policy
• NGDI Stakeholders Workshop
• Establishment of NGDI Committee, Six
  Sub-Committees, and Working Groups
• Users Requirement Survey and Analysis
• Provision of Fundamental Dataset
• GPS Geodetic Control Network
• Capacity Building
• Development of ClearingHouse Node On-going
• Development of NGDI Website On-going

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Challenges/Problems

• National GeoInformation Policy Approval/Bill
• Funding Central/Decentralised
• Implementation Cost assessment
• Revolution
• Capacity Building
• Awareness
• Personnel
• Technological Challenges
• Development of ClearingHouse Node On-going
• Development of NGDI Website On-going

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Conclusions

• No country has fully implemented her SDI. We are
  all at different stages of SDI developments,
  learning from each others pitfalls.
• An inter-agency infrastructure such as this must
  be carefully implemented taken care of the
  partnering notion on which it is built. That is
  all major stakeholders must be part of the
  implementation at various stages.
• Various shifts in GDI/SDI must be taken into
  account in it design and implementation
• Shift from Product to Process model
• From data producers to data users
• From database creation to data sharing
• From centralised to decentralised structures
• Shift from Formulation to Implementation
• From coordination to governance
• From single to multi level participation
• From existing to new organisational structures
  (Masser, 2005)

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Conclusions

• The problem of data sharing goes beyond
  technical,
• The participation of key stakeholders in the
  development and operation of the data access
  component of an SDI depend strongly on
  Geo-Information policy regarding data
  distribution, cost recovery etc.
• The GI Policy was drafted with contributions from
  stakeholders including an international Workshop
  in order to give it the necessary credence.
• NGDI with the sustaining policy if properly
  implemented in the country, the essential GI will
  consequently become part of the national
  infrastructure that will facilitate a rapid
  improvement of the national economy including an
  efficient management of the nations natural
  resources and environment.

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Thank U
for Your Attention