Community of practice to enhance knowledge about a geospatial data  program and the capabilities of geospatial data in Nigeria. 

In its third year, a geospatial data program recognized the imperative for extensive stakeholder engagement  to pinpoint use cases for its datasets within the non-profit and private sectors. 

Dev-Afrique Development Advisors provided strategic advisory services to advance the understanding and  utilization of geospatial data in Nigeria. Given the substantial government involvement, the strategy focused  on actively engaging private, public, and non-governmental stakeholders to foster collaboration and garner  support. The primary objective was to establish a feedback mechanism that would promote knowledge  transfer, encourage the sharing of use cases, and ensure the program’s sustainability. 

Through geospatial stakeholder mapping, key players in various sectors were identified. A community of  practice framework was crafted and implemented to facilitate interactions between the geospatial data  program and users in the private and non-profit sectors. In-person and virtual engagements, along with a  dedicated Slack channel, effectively promoted and expanded the community. Dev-Afrique developed a  strategy that seamlessly integrated both in-person and virtual tools, aligning with shared values and nurturing  mutual engagement. 

The community of practice emerged as a collaborative platform for government representatives, the  geospatial data program team, and other stakeholders. It facilitated the development of use cases and the  collection of feedback on current datasets. Based on lessons learned, the final framework was seamlessly  incorporated into in-country processes and adopted as a template for other countries, thereby enhancing the  program’s effectiveness and replicability. 

The geospatial data program supports the Nigerian government and other private and non-profit  stakeholders in their efforts to generate, validate, and use geospatial data on population, settlements,  infrastructure, and subnational boundaries for planning and decision making.