For more than 2 weeks now, Somtochukwu has been passionately following up for an orientation and integration as a volunteer at Unique Mappers Network. He is currently a Senior Secondary School 2 student in Lagos and has reached out to Unique Mappers to volunteer and map unmapped areas in OpenStreetMap. I am so excited to have him at this orientation so he can proceed to contribute to the OpenStreetMap project. Please . join me to welcome Somtochukwu to the world of OpenStreetMap as he signs up for a username and starts mapping !!!

The AFRIGIST Alumni International Network Online Training Workshop on “OpenStreetMap: From Global Action to Local Impact – Leveraging Open Map Data for the SDGs” was successfully delivered, with over 30 participants and trainees joining from different AFRIGIST alumni beneficiary countries across Africa. It was a 2-days workshop held on 15th and 16th December,2025.

The training was facilitated by Dr. Victor Ndubuisi Sunday, Ph.D., Senior Lecturer, Geography & Environmental Management, University of Port Harcourt, and National Coordinator, Unique Mappers Network, who served as the Resource Person for the programme.

🔹 Training Highlights

Day 1 focused on core concepts and foundational skills, introducing participants to OpenStreetMap (OSM) as a global, open, community-driven geospatial platform and its relevance to local development and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Sessions covered OSM account creation, OSM Diary use, hands-on mapping with the iD Editor (roads, buildings, POIs), the Map My Village / Map My Community campaign, the HOT Tasking Manager, and best practices in data quality and validation.

Day 2 emphasized advanced and applied workflows, exposing participants to:

Downloading OSM data using Geofabrik and QuickOSM

Loading and managing OSM layers in QGIS

Map visualization and styling

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I am so excited to have Unique Mappers RSU chapter virtual event taking off today for the next 3 days. I am also excited to have Favour and Adanna anchoring this event as part fo their internship program task

Prof .P Ede of Geography Dept and Dr . Erefama of Geology was in attendance along with so many others .

Cheers to Unique Mappers Nigeria

Following mobilization of volunteers and OSm newbies at Benue State University to kick-start a new chapter and team of Unique Mappers to drive Map Nigeria Mapathon project and the Makurdi on going project .We had a training for newbies. More than 20 newbies has been mobilized and signed up to OSM. These include William Hundu, the Team Coordinator, Lucas, Glory,Shater ,Jacob an others After the virtual meeting ,I hope to travel to Makurdi for in-person training and MOU with the University and Unique Mappers Network,Nigeria

Also .we are planning for stakeholders workshop for data use cases

It works !! OSMfight as a gamification for community engagement of OSM contribution -This week we are engaging paired mappers for OSMfight for the next one week - we need to get our project task running,engaging and fun to map https://tasks.openstreetmap.us/projects/815#description

OSMfight this week engages volunteers from our 1. Unique Mappers Abuja Mapathon Center 2. Unique Mappers Enugu Mapathon Center 3. Unique Mappers Port Harcourt Mapathon Center 4. Unique Mappers Kaduna Mapathon Center and others

Our challenge remains breaking the barrier of high cost of internet data subscription in Nigeria

Sustaining our mapathon centers with basic volunteering motivations

Engaging data users stakeholders workshop and lost more

We look forward to our partners and supporters !!!!!

You can support us here https://uniquemappers.org/donate/

Today, I had a good time at the national office and Mapathon center of Unique Mappers Network-the OpenStreetMap Nigeria Community NGO (osm.org/#map=18/4.899962/6.921081) to engage newbies, signing them up and training them on how to contribute to OpenStreetMap. Among them are Ngozi,Fortune,David and Chika (NMak,verified,Peter Msiion D and Victoria Jaja). Please, check out for them to welcome them and share your success stories and motivation for OSM volunteering. Fortune(verifiedfortune) joining Unique Mappers IT cohort 1 for 2025 would be contributing for the next 6 months as part of his IT task. https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7329531711480926209 ![ ]

On 3rd May, We got back to our Map Nigeria Monthly Mapathon to sustain active OSM community participation in Nigeria, especially as we have mapping projects being coordinated in collaboration with TomTom one of Unique Mappers Network partner https://tasks.openstreetmap.us/projects/815#coordination . Volunteers joined from across the states and universities in Nigeria in a virtual coordinated mapathon, especially, the Unique Mappers Team we recently established in Abuja,Kaduna.Ile-Ife and Enugu.

In the first quarter of 2025, we have mobilized,signed-up and trained more than 100 newbies coordinated in a new whatsaap group of the community whatsaap group for orientation purposes. However, mapping contributions has been quite slow as the recent high increase in internet data subscription in Nigeria makes it more difficult for both old and new OSM volunteers to sacrifice the high cost of internet for voluntary mapping in OSM. You can hardly find free internet broad band access to engage volunteers in Mapathon.

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Hi everyone ,happy to sign up and engaged newbies today . Also attended an Innovation week exhibition where we exhibited our work at unique mappers

Thank you Daniel Akor for an amazing job, hosting the Orientation and training of new team leads of LMT-Nsukka.

Look forward to their most active participation with Unique Mappers Community Nigeria as well as university community engagement at UNN

Cheers

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Motivations

Have you ever wondered when on earth, you would have opportunity to meet in person, have a handshake, a hug, an off-screen smile, take a coffee or even a lunch together with friends and colleagues you have remotely worked with, as weeks, months and years keeps counting in a virtual world of OpenStreetMap global community? Yes, our trending techs and AI keeps offering us the best of smart connectivity with everyone in a digital space of daily online activities that builds around us a world of virtual communities with uncertainties, barriers and boundaries of never meeting physically in our life time. Have you ever, thought about, the uncertainties of meeting in person such cool guy as Geoffery kateregga and the rest of HOT and OSM Africa local community leaders after consistently working virtually in HOT working groups, OSM Africa Mapathon, Community meeting and the rest for weeks, months and years in a virtual world of OSM.

What about meeting your boss-Pete Masters the Head HOT Global community (of course, if you are a community leader or aspiring and being mentored to be one) after having series of community mentorship, supervision, and virtual meetings through WhatsApp zoom, jitsi and the rest of the virtual platform that makes you forget the distance barrier and that you never had an opportunity to meet in person. Infact, after meeting virtually for years gone by, it only dawned on me that my very boss-Pete Masters had such an intimidating height that would dare me stretching out my neck when I first met him on my arrival for SOTM2022, in Florence, Italy. So, my virtual assumptions were wrong after all, thanks to FOSS4G2022 and unSummit HOT.

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Today I participated in Unique Mappers OSM Nigeria monthly Mapathon during which I facilitated the mapathon and providing training to newbies in the beginners room. It was so exciting to have everyone joining from diffrerent parts of Nigeria and beyond ,including Germany and Tanzania. We look look forward in the few weeks ahead Etsako east project would be completely mapped to provide open map data to drive humanitarian response and social good project

It was amazing and exiting to have our Unique mappers community joining again for the 1-week Mapathon Webinar #mapmyvillage . Good to have Raph-the HOT Global Validation Team lead joining us to handle the validation training room.And thanks to Kingsely and Chiosm Okwuchi for amazing job in the beginners room and advance mappers room. We had maore participants joining to learn how to map thier villages in OSM

It was so exciting to finally have a successful Monthly Mapathon kick-off in Nigeria on Saturday ,30th April 2022. One of the innovative aspect of this mapathon is the Panel session during which panelist from the Unique Mappers Community were able to discuss data use cases for data being contributed. This helped newbies to understand that we are not just mapping for fun but to drive development and humanitarian response. We also had breakout rooms for training using the zoom platform. Highlights of the 2housr mapathon includes: Unique Mappers Network -The Local Community of OpenStreetMap in Nigeria Launches a Monthly Mapathon Tagged : #MapMyVillage Campaign for Social Good Featuring Mapathon Training 1. Getting started as a Beginner Mapper in OpenStreetMap 2. Advancing your Mapping Skills in OpenStreetMap Panel Session Mapping My Village for Social Good Certificate of Participation Internet Data Support for 1-week Mapathon Since, we made it a one week mapathon ,newbies would be signed up and virtually be guided and trained to remotely map their villages in Nigeria. I sincerely appreciate all management team of Unique Mappers network for the amazing cooperation and passion to see this mapathon take off and we look forward to sustaining this effort.

It was quite exciting to meet virtually with the new team lead of OyoMappersTeam ,one of the founding team of Unique Mappers OSM Community Nigeria , The team was co-doundaed by Mrs Mary Marcellineus and Victor N.Sunday in 2017. The Team Coordinator, Mrs Mary was also excited to have us discuss ways of breaking barriers to community engagement at Oyo. One of the constraints she is battling is the access to internet connectivity for mapping which is very costly for members to afford . Most often she had to use part of her meager salary ,to ensure, a mapping event or training is hosted . In response, the team was given hope ,that ,such barriers is bound to be overcome as we all work together as a local community NGO for Nigeria -The Unique Mappers ,so we can seek for funding for humanitarian response mapping in Nigeria. If members were up and doing with annual dues/reg ,that would serve effectively to provide internet subscription support for the team but now we can only rely on possible micro grant and donations ,to help us provide sustaining fee internet subscription for mapathon. The team was advised at the moment to get Mi-fire for monthly subscription to hotspot for 32/64 participants or make use of their smartphones. While,Unique Mappers would always be there for the team to provide necessary support. The meeting was as an exciting way to wrap up the day’s activities for OSM volunteering

I participated in this training and was able to provide training on introduction to OSM and HOT Tasking Manager today. Really appreciates everyone who attended from Osun State,Enugu State,Abuja,Kogi,Ogun and others for Unique Mappers Community Nigeria

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I Just had a brief orientation with Oluwatosin and Ijeoma on OSM and how Unique Mappers contribute to OSM project . I look forward they will pick it up from there… How brief can you make an orientation about OSM? just to get newbies excited and get on board as active Local OSM Mappers?

Its being quite a while on OSM diary and lots have been taking place in Nigeria OSM Community as Unique Mappers,the NGO community for OpenSTreetMap in Nigeria continues to grow and expand the OSM project in Nigeria even in the lock down of #COVID19.

We have had series of COVID19 Community empowerment and Mappers Wanted Training from March though April-the global Citizen Science Month and then into May. The moments include the MapWithAI Webinar traninng ,Mappilary training and the GODAN-Unique Mappers Webinar “Empowering Women in Agriculture with Open Data Mapping :Implications for Land Rights and SDGS. https://landportal.org/blog-post/2020/05/empowering-women-open-data-mapping-agriculture-implications-land-rights-and-sdgs

However,today ,I am so excited having my mentor and one of the corporate supporter of OSM in Nigeria sign up to OSM to add name a road in his village..We made use of google meet for the training and it was fun!! .Prof.Eze who is the managing Consultant of Transparent Earth Nigeria Ltd,-Corporate partner of Unique Mappers Nigeria sponsored as a community service the #Ogrute Ugwue Eru Mapathon for SDG-2 Food Security Project in Nigeria carried out by Unique Mappers . He also sponsors the Unique mappers best Mappers Annual Prize award.

Meanwhile,Victor Ezugwu(Victor1234)one of the state coordinator of Unique mappers Nigeria and HOT Voting member also closed up today succeeding in starting a new Chapter of Unique Mappers by mobilizing 12 newbies using social media . Surprisingly,with his passion ,Unique Mappers Ibadan has just begun…with the creation of a whatsaap group for the coordination and mentoring of these OSM newbies. Amidst,the #COVID19, locakdown,the youths and veveryone staying at home wants to do something new and get off the boring moments and here comes Unique Mappers Ibadan for newbies of OSM in Oyo state,Nigeria. We look forward to providing virtual community engagement for this new chapter as we map COVID19 in Nigeria

Looking back to 2019,I have the following bits of contributions and moments for my diary record in favour of OpenStreetMap Community and sustainability.

1 . Initiated and hosted series of planing meetings to activate community participation ,growth and expansion of OpenStreetMap Community in Nigeria ,especially,in January 2019.

2 . Contributed and also advocated for HOT Microgrant 2019 donations

3 . Applied for HOT Microgrant 2019 to drive Local community projects in Nigeria but luck was not on our side

4 . Participated in Regional Meetings for OSM Africa Coordination ,especially,when,time permits

5 . In April ,I made sure my local community hosted International Women Day (IWD)2019 to drive gender equality in mapping community and geospatial women empowerment.This also was used to campaign for LetGirlsMap program. For me ,this event has come to stay after succesully hosting it same period in 2018. For 2019 IWD ,the event was tagged :Geospatial Technology the Solution for Women Transformation:Balance for better.

6 . From July to August ,facilitated Mapathon training for Local UniqueMappers Communities at Abia State,Imo State ,Enugu State and Anambra State respectively in Nigeria

7 . Started up UniqueMappers Awka at Nmandi Azikiwe University Awka with the help of Prof.Ifeanyi Enete who mobilzed compus community members comprising of students and staff

8 . Started up UniqueMappers Yola credits to Nnadozie Onyeukwu (State Coordinator) and Saliha who worked very hard to kick-start activities for this local team of UniqueMappers without me travelling to Adamawa state to coordinate.And todate their whatsaap group is quite lively and with active osmites.

9 . Finally succeeded in getting UniqueMappers registered with the Federal Government of Nigeria as the NGO for OpenStreetMap Nigeria Community.This would help to re-position our OSM community efforts for effective project and stake-holders driven community engagement

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I had a successful meeting with Victor Essang and some UniqueMappers OSMNgera Leaders for community expansion of UniqueMappers OSMNIgeria at Uyo-Nigeria

Meeting time :9:30-!0:28pm Nigerian time Meeting ID 755 993 243 Zoom

Highlights: 1.Introduction of attendees 2.Introduction of Victor Essang OSM Effort-Uyo
3.OSM Community Structure 4.UniqueMappers-Uyo 5.Annuual OSMites Diary Record/Reports 6.Mappy Chrismas and UniqueMappers 2020 7.AOB
Convener:Victor N.Sunday UniqueMappers OSMNigeria National Coordinator

Prior to this meeting,we had a chat yesterday during which I did acknowledge his efforts in hosting #OSMGeoweek2019 Mapathon as well as applying for a #HOTMicrogrant2020 .

Our meeting today,Victor Ezeugwu-State Coordinator-UniqueMappers Kogi ,Knigsely Chukwu-LMTEnugu and Onyeukwu Nnadozie-State Coordinator-UniqueMappers-Yola was were in attendance. To drive a well coordinated OSMNigeria Community,we need everyone to work together with selfless effort to sustain and expand OpenStreetMap data and local communities in Nigeria.We have the workplan to mobilize and build local communities in every state and Universities in Nigeria like we now have UniqueMappers-Kogi ,UniqueMappers-Yola and for for Uyo,we have beein limited by time and resources and so would not like to duplicate the effort of Victor Essang ,who already has raised up a team.As such we need to consolidate and support the team as UniqueMappers Uyo. By doing so ,we are going to mobilize more osmites and get them trained to sustain UniqueMappers Uyo both as a local community at Uyo and a student team at University of Uyo. I also informed them to encourage their team members to update their OSM diary with their individual annual report.so we can share our motivations,insights and achievements to the OSM global community. Victor Essang was quite glad and responded with excitement as we welcomed him to UniqueMappersTeam,Nigeria the Community NGO for #OpenStreeTMapNigeria #OSMNigeria