Since I discovered the Local Guides programme last year, I have developed a better appreciation for the value of reviews in helping the global community understand the corner of the world I live in, so that
they an make more informed choices while planning to visit places of interest, book a hotel or decide which restaurant to eat in.
On that score, I am now more deliberate and observant when I visit places in Lagos (Nigeria) and elsewhere already mapped by Google, knowing that what I have to say about these places will be helpful to someone out there, especially a first timer. So I happily tap on the location icon on my phone, look forward to the prompt by Maps afterwards and to sharing my honest thoughts.
To see that my reviews and contributions so far have been seen by tens of thousands of people in such a short time of being a Local Guide gives me a sense of fulfillment and inspires me to do even more. And being a Level Six Local Guide is a thrill in itself.
I‘m not new to writing reviews, though: as a travel journalist for almost two decades, I have written and published travel-specific stories about Nigeria that focus on the must-see places and the many things to do on arrival. I combine this with being an actual tour guide, showing visitors around some of these places.
While I have done all of these on my own steam, the Google Local Guide programme has offered me a much bigger and more effective platform to share my thoughts about the many interesting places I visit, either as a direct result of work or a purely leisurely pursuit.
As a Local Guide, I’m glad that I belong to a global community of individuals helping people with useful information about our respective communities that they would otherwise not have immediate access to.
I look forward to offering more of my insights as a local in the months and years ahead.