This past Saturday, we kicked off the 2019 Connect Live series in Lagos, Nigeria. We welcomed nearly 100 top Local Guides in Lagos to The George Hotel to celebrate all the ways, both big and small, that Local Guides contributions are making a difference in the community.
The day started with a special welcome from Juliet Ehimuan, Country Director at Google, leading Google’s business strategy in West Africa. She was named among Forbes top 20 power women in Africa, featured in the BBC Africa Power Women series, and recently named one of 30 people changing the world by the London Business School. Juliet thanked Local Guides for being pioneers of the Google Maps experience and reiterated Google’s commitment to empowering communities in Nigeria.
Next up, UX Researcher Lade Tawak moderated a Googler panel discussion with Product Marketing Manager, Tutu Laditan, Content Strategist, Aysha Flitcroft, and Product Marketing Manager, Emmanual “Biggy” Abiodun. The panel weighed in on the impact of Street View imagery in Nigeria, talked about local trends on Maps and Search, and shared tips around making edits to the map. Attendees then had the opportunity to ask the panelists questions.
Afterward, Local Guides divided into smaller groups to participate in feedback sessions on one of five topics: helping local businesses, public transportation, discovering things to do in Lagos, perks, and communication. These intimate group discussions allowed attendees to share their personal experiences with Googlers and fellow Local Guides.
The group came back together to hear from fellow Local Guides about how they’ve aligned their contributions with causes they’re passionate about. Local Guide Emeka Ulor (@EmekaHouse) discussed his commitment to adding accessibility information to the map and Samson Emuraishe-Mosilily (@HelloSamsonR) shared about his efforts promoting community engagement and meet-ups on Connect. Chioma James talked about her involvement in the local effort to map emergency response locations, such as hospitals and police stations, empowering women to seek help in times of crisis. Lastly, Bassey Edoho shared his love of photography and what inspired him to become a Local Guide.
To showcase the impact Local Guides reviews, ratings, and photos have on local businesses, Googler Biggy Abiodun hosted a discussion with Mr. Adedamola Ogunsesan, Project Manager at Lekki Conservation Center and Mr. Olatunji Adenuga, Found & CEO of Vestar Coffee. Both shared how they use Local Guides feedback to help inform business decisions like HR policies, marketing, and what products and services to offer. Mr. Ogunsesan and Mr. Adenuga thanked Local Guides for their commitment to detail and encouraged the group to continue sharing their candid thoughts and feedback.
The last on-stage segment featured Nigerian food explorer, photographer, and writer, Ozoz Sokoh. Ozoz shared her tips on taking photos with pops of color, strong composition, and lots of personality!
The event concluded with a happy hour and reception to continue the conversation and connections. There, Local Guides enjoyed some delicious food and drink and had fun taking photos in the digital photobooth.
We had such a great time at our first Connect Live event of 2019 and this is just the beginning! Check out our Google Photos album to see the highlights from the event and stay tuned for announcements on where Connect Live will be heading next!
congrats to all attendees in connect live 2019 Lagos Nigeria. Waiting to hear where the next event heads to, otherwise am happy of you guys.
Events like your´s in Lagos i hope to see one day also in Europe. 
Maybe in Germany ?