Its so exciting to see the progress of my research about VGI and Crowdsourced mapping becoming a passion-driven campaign for humanitarian mappers among the University Youths in Nigeria. When,It become obvious last year,2017,that I am going to rely on the openstreetmap platform for my crowdsourced mapping research ,the next issue was ,how to raise the crowd and engage them to mapping.My research linked me up to the OSM community in Africa ,where, I met a good friend Geoffery Kateregga ,who was organizing the State of The Map African Conference in Uganda last year,2017. I was introduced to OSM Africa working group and though I was unable to secure travel fund to Uganda for SOTM-Africa,i got on with the community meeting and online discussion with the help of Mr.Geoffery Kateregga.I also got in contact with Nathelia of Mali and Madam Janet Chapman of Crowd2Map Tanzania,all on whatsapp chat,communicating and receiving motivations for work. I was able to create .mentor and coordinate to full establishment ,the UniqueMappersTeam-University of Port Harcourt,Nigeria,as a YouthMappers Chapter between June and December,2017 Our first Mapathon in July had an attendance of more than 100 students and staff ,signing up for OSM account to join us as a humanitarian mapper.

By 9th,August,I was able to create a new YouthMappers Chapter at the University of Nigeria,Nsuka(UNN),which I named LionMappersTeam(LMT)Nsukka.This effort was assisted by my friend and a Lecturer at Geography UNN.Surveyor Romanus Ayadiuno and Peter Pada.a 3rd year student of Geography dept.who was serving his interns in my department and under my training and supervision created a chat group and we used that to mobilize and train the team leaders as well as members while on holiday.Surveyor Romanus Ayadiuno became the Faculty advisor while Peter Pada,became the Team Leader Projects.Elvis Onotode worked as the Pioneer Director and Research, and Nmasinachi Dim worked as the Director,LetGirlsMap and Team General Secretary.

By 20th September,I proceeded to create another chapter at the Federal School of Surveying,Oyo,Oyo State,Nigeria,which I named OyoMappersTeam(OMT),Oyo.This was also facilitated remotely online,with the help of Mrs Mary Marcllinus Lhwu,who worked as the Team Coordinator along with Team leaders.

By 26th October,I also moved over to create a new chapter at the University of Nigeria,Enugu Campus,Nigeria,where ,I currently ,study as a PhD student.We called the this chapter’LionMappersTeam(LMT)Enugu Campus,to go along with University of Nigeria,Nsukka,the main campus.We started with about 46 members online where we had training and discussion on OSM.Our Faculty adviser, Professor Chukwunonyelum Okpala-Okaka was also excited about the new way of mapping though openstreetmap.As a Phd Student,I took the Pioneer Team Leadership and Mentoring of LionMappersTeam-Enugu Campus.

UniqueMappersTeam-Port Harcourt had an active participation in OSMGeoweek,November,2017.During this event we had a week-long activities ranging with maps.me campaign,Mappers Wantedl,leadership training and mapathon.Rebbeca Firth came on board,to my notice,working from OSM community working group as one of the OSMGeoweek reps.It was a huge success and was widely celebrated,moreso as we got our parcel of Certificate of affilation to YouthMappers same week.

Between 4th and 15th December,2017,I had to sponsor myself to travel to these new chapters for an inaugural training,dealing with how to map on OSM.I spent one week for LionMappersTeam-Enugu Campus,and the following week ,I was at LionMappersTeam_Nsukka. Both chapters were excited and led to multiple increase in membership.We had time to mentor,train and coordinate these two chapters directly and individually. I had to time and sufficient personal fund to travel to proceed to Oyo for oyomappersTeam and so I had to travel back to Port Harcourt,where ,I quickly,seized the opportunity to create another chapter at the Ignatius Ajuru University of Education,Port Harcourt.And so ,I had a new team ‘‘IgnatiusMappersTeam(IMT)Port harcourt added to the YouthMappers OSM community Nigeria.

The year 2017 also gave me opportunity to set up a platform for OSMNigeria Community ,with advise of Geoffery Kateregga of OSM-Africa/HOT and the support of Dennis Omisore of FUTA Youthmappers.And so on 20th september2017,I created a chat group for the mobilization of OSMNigeria.

To start the year’s activities for UniqueMapperTeam-we had a seminar presentaion by team members on the theme:Solving Practical Problems using GIS and Remote Sensing. on 20th,January,2018.Venue was ,the faculty of Social Science hall,University of Port Harcourt.It was a time for members to share their knowledge and experience I look forward ,to creating more youthmappers chapters in Nigeria,while mentoring them to ensure an effective and efficient OSM community in Nigeria for response to resilent communities in Nigeria.