Our Icons, Trailblazers and Visionaries…
Caption: Nigeria Local Guides group photo at a Meet-up in Lagos
Welcome to Day Four of the Community Spotlight: Nigeria celebration! As part of the global Community Spotlight 2025 and the #10YearsofLocalGuides anniversary.
What could Local Guides be without the African Giant? The Nigerian Community is one of the most active Local Guides communities with over 1 million active contributors, three Connect Moderators and top initiatives including One Accessibility & TRAC.
Our journey’s been impressive! We had 2 attendees at Connect Live 2017 in San Francisco, and in 2018, four Nigerians made it to San Francisco. At the event, three Local Guides won awards: Emeka Ulor (Outstanding Accessibility Contributions), Alexander Osondu (Editor-in-Chief), and U-roy Agboli (Selfie King). In 2019, we took it up a notch with four representatives at Connect Live San Jose. Sanya Odare and Isaac Oguji joined the Google team on stage to make presentations, while Isaac Oguji (Most Reviews over 200 characters) and Emeka Ulor (Most Facts Checked) took home awards!
This success didn’t just happen - we had Guiding Stars who showed us the way and kept motivating the community, starting from our first Local Guides Meet-up in Lagos (2017) where we met the Google Local Guides Team. We’ve had Connect Live Abuja (2018) and Lagos (2019).
Shout-out to consistent contributors like Emeka, @SholaIB @Sagir and @ChinonsoOnukwugha who help keep the community active!
We’re looking forward to more Connect Live events in Nigeria and Africa! These events always boost commitment, spark new trailblazers, and positively impact our Maps contributions.
Meet some luminaries who are contributing meaningfully to the community in their own little ways:
Caption: a monochrome photo of Abdulgafar in a traditional attire.
Abdulgafar Olalekan @dahboss Lagos, Nigeria
Level 9 Local Guide
Meet Abdulgafar who joined the Local Guides program in August 2019, and since then, has been passionate about exploring new places and contributing to Google Maps.
“I love touring around and visiting new places,” Abdulgafar says. “I’m dedicated to contributing to Google Maps by adding new places and roads, ensuring everyone navigates their city or village with ease.”
Abdulgafar’s favorite Google Maps features to explore are Street View, Accessibility, and Photos. He has participated in a few virtual meet-ups and looks forward to connecting with fellow guides in a physical meetup soon.
To make a significant impact in his community, Abdulgafar provides accurate mapping information, helping visitors navigate his community with ease. “I love discovering new places and exploring the country,” he says. “My place contributions and road additions help people discover new fun destinations and find their way around the city.”
A fun fact about Abdulgafar is that he’s always eager to explore new places and share his discoveries with others.
Caption: A photo of Silas on a native attire.
Ayua Silas Denen @Silooobaba
Abuja, Nigeria
Level 7
Silas, also known as Silooobaba, a dedicated Local Guide from the capital of Nigeria Abuja. Ayua joined the Local Guides program in 2018 and has been making a significant impact in his community ever since.
“I love sharing my knowledge to help others discover great places and earning badges and points during the process,” Ayua says. “I also get access to new Google features and connect with like-minded people.”
Ayua’s favorite Google Maps features to explore are adding photos and editing stores. He has hosted 4 meetups and attended several, empowering fellow guides and contributing to making Google Maps more accurate through edits.
“I am not just contributing to Google Maps, I am also empowering other local guides through meetups and helping to improve the accuracy of the map through edits,” Ayua says. “Making it easier for people to navigate and discover new places in my community.”
A fun fact about Ayua is that he’s a community-driven Local Guide who hosts meetups to empower fellow guides and contributes to making Google Maps more accurate through edits.
Ayua also has a suggestion for the Local Guides team: “I would like the Local Guide team to look at the reward system, providing rewards to boost engagement, increase productivity, and foster a sense of achievement. Google Pixel phones can be sent to consistent Local Guides to help them improve the quality of the photos they upload on the map.”
Caption: A photo of Udoka wearing a white shirt on a red backdrop
Udoka Obigbor @UdokaObis
Lagos, Nigeria
Level 7
Udoka joined the Local Guides program in May 2021 and has been making a positive impact in her community ever since.
“Helping people navigate my city is definitely the top reason I’m a Local Guide,” Udoka says. “The community has made this a safe place and has helped me navigate and have a better understanding of the Local Guide connect. I love how they are passionate about sharing knowledge, love, and guidelines about different places.”
Udoka’s favorite Google Maps features to explore are Video and Street View. “I like to explore restaurants, and the video feature helps me decide if I like the idea of a place or what they’re serving,” she says. “The Street View has helped me a couple of times, so before I go to a new place, I’m aware of what to expect or navigate my way around the area.”
Udoka has attended 6 meetups and is planning to host one on her own. A fun fact about Udoka is that she has the ability to read text that is printed in reverse, as if it were reflected in a mirror - a skill known as mirror reading.
Udoka also has a suggestion for the Local Guides team: “I believe there used to be a topics segment, e.g., food, news, photography. I kinda miss that feature. It would be nice to see that again.”
Caption: A selfie of Patrick during a meetup
Patrick Daudu @MrFreez
Lagos, Nigeria
Level 10 Local Guide
Patrick has been a part of the Local Guides program since March 2016, and he’s passionate about the community spirit that comes with it. “I love being able to help people and businesses I’ve never met through my contributions on Google Maps.”
One of his favorite things to explore on Google Maps, aside from Street View which is now unavailable with the Street View app, is accessibility features in places. “Every small contribution to accessibility is a step towards a more inclusive world,” he believes.
As a dedicated Local Guide, he’s hosted over 20 physical meet-ups and attended countless others. “I’m committed to making a significant impact in my community by encouraging consistency and activeness among Local Guides,” he says. He organizes meet-ups, joins member programs, and runs campaigns to keep everyone engaged.
Fun fact: “Every city I visit gets a little mark from me - I take photos and upload them to Google Maps to leave a digital footprint behind.”
He’s also excited to share that he launched the “30 Days Streak Google Map Contribution” initiative, started on 1st November 2025, aimed at encouraging consistency among Local Guides.
Juliet Ezego @Julietezego
Owerri, Nigeria
Level 8
Juliet joined the Local Guides program in 2019 and has been dedicated to making a positive impact. “I love seeing the impact of my contributions on the lives of people with disabilities and local businesses,” she says.
With a focus on accessibility, Juliet contributes to Accessibility and Photo features on Google Maps. She has hosted over 5 meetups and attended more than 10, showcasing her commitment to ensuring equal access to information and services for all.
“The Nigeria Local Guide community is united by a spirit of oneness, resilience, and mutual support. With over 250 ethnic groups, we promote local businesses, cultural heritage, and community development through inclusive collaboration. By leveraging our diverse skills, we strive to make a positive impact and enrich the Nigerian experience.”
Juliet says " I am grateful for the Local Guides program, which has given me the opportunity to contribute to the global community and make a positive impact."
Caption: Photo showing Local Guides Team and some Local Guides after an accessibility Meet-up in Abuja, Nigeria
We appreciate our icons - those who have paved the way, trailblazers - those pushing innovative projects and visionaries- Local Guides who have been consistent on Maps, Connect and in the community.
We encourage more members in our community to emulate these rising stars to stay active while across board as we continue to make quality contributions in Nigeria.
Here’s the Nigeria community Spotlight welcome post. You can read other articles about the community.
#10YearsOfLocalGuides #CommunitySpotlight2025 #NigeriaLocalGuides
to all Nigeria Local Guides for a Meet-up in Lagos nice photo.