IMPLEMENTATION OF GIS FOR STREET ADDRESSES IN PURSUIT OF A SMART CITY: FCT ADMINISTRATION’S PLAN

Striving to modernize and revolutionize the nation’s capital, Abuja, into a contemporary and intelligent metropolis, the Federal Capital Territory Administration has completed preparations to introduce a Geographic Information System (GIS) software platform for comprehensive street addressing.

The initiative to establish a street addressing system aims to ensure a standardized addressing framework in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), aligning with the Nigerian standard for the development of the Abuja Smart City.

Executing this endeavor in collaboration with the Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI) based in the United States of America (USA), the project is set to initiate through a pilot street project. This pilot program will be carried out in partnership with a locally authorized Environmental Systems Research Institute partner.

At the occasion of the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Federal Capital Territory Administration and the Environmental Systems Research Institute, USA, Mr. Olusade Adesola, the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Capital Territory Administration, representing the FCTA, remarked that the project holds substantial potential in the Administration’s pursuit of transforming Abuja into a modern, intelligent city, comparable to the best-managed cities worldwide.

Adesola clarified that the current leadership of the FCT Administration is committed to aligning Abuja’s growth with its Master Plan, in harmony with the vision of the Territory’s founding figures, who initially envisioned Abuja as a world-class city.

He emphasized that the MoU’s signing signifies the government’s proactive approach towards realizing the aspiration of transforming Abuja into a smart city that not only excels as Africa’s premier capital but also addresses prevailing socio-economic challenges.

Adesola outlined how the development of an e-commerce platform utilizing ESRI’s Geospatial Infrastructure will significantly boost revenue for the FCT Administration through the Abuja Geographic Information Systems (AGIS). He highlighted that extending these services to both private entities and government agencies hinges on the establishment of a dependable, authoritative, and effortlessly accessible addressing system.

Representing the American multinational Geographic Information System Software Company, Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI), Mr. Jack Dangermond, who endorsed the MoU on behalf of the institute, generously contributed GIS Software valued at over One Hundred Thousand US Dollars ($100,000), equivalent to about N79,000,000 for the project.

Dangermond, an integral part of the Abuja Master Plan Consultants during its embryonic phase, expressed that his software donation underscores his commitment to the city’s development and efficient management, a cause that resonates deeply with him.

Anticipated to catalyze the transformation of Abuja into a Smart City, the successful deployment of an effective addressing system will provide precise and accessible platforms to bolster contact tracing and vaccination initiatives.

The project is also set to elevate courier services, postal operations, utility provisions such as water, sewage, electricity distribution, internet connectivity, billing mechanisms, emergency response/dispatch, and disaster management.

Upon full implementation, the software will facilitate household surveys/census, property registration, valuation and taxation, urban planning, real estate operations, account opening with financial institutions, driver’s registration, national identification, and various other smart city undertakings.

The MoU signing, which took place in San Diego, USA, was witnessed by Surveyor Abuduganiyu Adeyemi Adebomehin, the Surveyor-General of the Federation (SGoF), Dr. Isa Ibrahim Jalo, Director/CEO of Abuja Geographic Information Systems (AGIS), and Mr. Ahmed Ismaila, Director of Legal Drafting at the Federal Capital Territory Administration.