Experts push integrated mapping to tackle slum challenges in Lagos, Kano

Stakeholders have converged in Abuja to validate findings from the mapping of deprived slums and informal communities in Lagos and Kano states. The session, held during the dissemination and cross-sectoral workshop of the IDEAMAPS Data Ecosystem, featured a detailed analysis of models for mapping informal settlements marked by infrastructural deficiencies. Prof. Taiwo G. Amole explained […]

Stakeholders have converged in Abuja to validate findings from the mapping of deprived slums and informal communities in Lagos and Kano states.

The session, held during the dissemination and cross-sectoral workshop of the IDEAMAPS Data Ecosystem, featured a detailed analysis of models for mapping informal settlements marked by infrastructural deficiencies.

Prof. Taiwo G. Amole explained that the meeting reviewed findings from two communities in Lagos and Kano, focusing on healthcare access, emergency obstetric care (EmOC), road connectivity, and flood hazards.

According to him, the workshop brought together experts from health, climate, and urban planning sectors to validate models, identify cross-cutting solutions, and strengthen collaboration for an integrated data ecosystem that ensures routine, accurate mapping of slums and deprived areas.

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The National President of the Association of Nigerian Geographers, Prof. Sani Abubakar Mashi, said only 30% of settlements in the Global South are formal, with the majority lacking critical infrastructure and effective planning regulations.

He said the challenges facing slums and informal settlements included unsafe housing, insecure land tenure, poor sanitation, limited access to electricity, water, healthcare, education, and other essential services.

He added that many such communities, though holding local or state-level titles, remain unserviced and excluded from urban planning frameworks.

The IDEAMAPS Data Ecosystem, he explained, is a participatory platform that enables locally validated mapping of city assets, aimed at closing service gaps in urban and health systems.