How reliable is Google Maps in Nigeria?
Do not get me wrong, I am not talking in terms of network accessibility but the accuracy of the routes the map takes you through.
I love technology, I really do. How can anyone hate what has made it possible for us to fulfil daunting tasks in very easy ways? Many things we take for granted now used to be really hard to do. Gone were the days when lovers had to wait for the postmaster to see if there is anything new happening in the life of the ones they cherish. Old school mates can easily reconnect and quickly catch up without necessarily being in the same location.
I work for clients abroad that I have never met and everyone from different time zones can converge at an agreed time to brainstorm through video conferencing and other similar platforms.
Do you know how relieving it is not to wait in a queue to perform a bank transaction anymore? I mean I do not even know the last time I bought a physical recharge card for my sim card. Everything that is needed to make life easy lies few clicks away these days.
Technology keeps getting better. The other day I was reminded of a flight I had to catch on my phone just because the flight details were sent to my mail box. I can monitor my heartbeat and stress level by the use of an app. I can tell the location of a loved one by tracking their devices. Denying the wonders of technology should be a crime.
As much as it has been a blessing, there are some lapses in its efficiency.In the early days of ATM machines in Nigeria, I remember there were so many cases of people getting debited for unwithdrawn cash. Getting the deducted amount back then used to be a big deal. The affected individual had to write series of letters and follow up closely not to lose the money totally.
Any time, a new app is introduced, there is a whole lot of getting used to and fixing of bugs to adequately serve those the app is intended for.
Google provides such great services tapping into the wealth of data available to it. The Google Maps is accurate in developed markets and I must confess that I have had some jolly rides using it in Nigeria. But I wonder about the accuracy after I was held down by law enforcement agents for going through a ‘one way traffic’ road while driving through Yaba, Lagos. I have also been taken through a path that led no where because it has been permanently blocked.
More recently I landed myself in a ditch after I was directed through the map to take a route that turned out to be unmotorable. Apparently, there are still good people in the world and they came out to literally lift my car out of the ditch.
While Google must have spent a lot of time and money in collecting the data used in planning the map, there is still a serious lapse.
It is imperative to factor in the Nigerian factor of poorly maintained roads and ever-changing road policies. Perhaps a quick survey or user feedback can be used to make the services more accurate and reliable.
Weighing the cons versus the pros of the app. The scale easily tilts to the pro end in favour of the app. So, inspite of the lapses, it is still a lifesaver.
3 Comments
Pingback: How Reliable Is Google Maps In Nigeria? | Androiddrips
To my own point of view, I will rate Google Map as 85% cause it as been very good so far. I think it needs to be updated for accuracy.
May I say that, this is one of the most interesting piece I’ve read on this platform. It gives me a kind of dejavu feeling of where I was coming from and what life was like, back then.
Now, about Google Maps, I think, just like you said, there’s been lots of improvement, compared to what it used to look like some 2, 3 years ago. It’s getting detailed by each update. And quite a number of people are depending on it now as their itinerary guide.