Geographical data as national asset : benefits of national situs addressing system for Africa

Abstract

In the context of the globalizing economy and rapid geoinformation development, African countries need to keep pace with developments in other technology areas. In this context, there is an urgent need to bridge the technological divide between Africa and the rest of the World, through standardization of practices and the appropriate use of information technologies to instill social and economic developments. One of these developments is a boom in location-based services (Global Positioning Systems, mobile telecommunication, ambulance response, cable television, etc.). These services require that the general public, including people from out of town, be able to easily navigate, locate places and access of interest.