The Case Study of Nigeria

With an increased awareness of the finite nature of the earth’s resources, coupled with population pressure, shortage of natural resources and degradation of the environment, it is a critical challenge to national governments to manage their resources. Environmental information including natural, human and technological resources can be located within a spatial framework so that their spatial inventory can be used in making crucial decisions for solving national problems. Of great importance to a national resource management is an electronic national atlas, which contains an inventory of national resources. A vital component of the electronic atlas is the GIS database which establishes an organisational framework bringing together information in a variety of themes (often from unrelated sources) which cut across disciplines such as geography, geology, biology, forestry, statistics, education, religion, medicine and agriculture. The wealth of information contained in an electronic atlas describing the country’s assets and economic potentials can be used by policy makers in policy formulation and implementation which will enable national government provide services effectively and efficiently