In a country of over one ninety million people occupying almost a million square kilometres, it can be tricky to find your way around Nigeria. 190 million is easily the population of 30 African nations combined. Now add to that: Nigeria is also an emerging market, Africa’s largest economy where businesses spring up overnight. Truth is, doing business in Nigeria requires you to have your own personal navigation system.
Luckily we have Google Maps. With real-time input from Local Guides, millions of Nigerians can easily navigate their daily lives and improve our business interactions. Just tap a button on your phone and you can check reviews, verify locations or feel safer as you drive cross country.
And this is why I love being a Local Guide: because it is practical proof that human-AI collaboration is essential to boost economic growth. The Google Maps technology and human contribution from Local Guides like me shows that the debate need not be Humans vs AI but Humans PLUS AI.
Additionally, when I contribute, either by sharing photos of a good restaurant in a new country or confirm wheelchair accessibility, it feels good to be part of helpful technology to make life easier. I also love receiving feedback emails from Google informing me how many of my reviews were helpful, how many views a photo got and more recently, an email that i was among the Top1% Local Guides in my city! I was so stoked that I put it on instagram,lol. It’s great being a Local Guide, I thoroughly enjoy it.