I read daily of Government doing a good job on road development both at the state and National level, and I wonder what the best way to measure these developments. I decided to consult google and Google Map came to the rescue.


The following information is according to Google Maps :

[b]A journey from Ikeja, Lagos to Benin City, Edo, Nigeria, approximately 191 miles long, should take approximately 4 hours and 12 mins.

A journey from Ikorodu, Lagos to Ikeja Lagos is approximately 18 miles and should really not take up to 40 minutes to complete.

A journey from Ikeja, Lagos to VI Lagos is approximately 18 miles and should not take more than 40 minutes.

A journey from Ilorin, Kwara to Ikeja, Lagos of approximately 174 miles should take approximately 4.5 hours.


A journey from Ilorin, Kwara to Oshogbo, Osun, of approximately 73km should not take more than 2 hours.

A journey from Benin City, Edo to Onitsha, Anambra, of approximately 143 miles, should take approximately 2 hours.

A journey from Yaba, Lagos to Onitsha, Anambra, approximately 283 miles, should not cost no more than 8 hours.

A Journey from Onitsha to Aba,ABia, approximately 100 miles, should not cost more than 2 hours 30 minutes.

A journey from Port Harcourt, RIvers, to Aba, Abia, approximately 43 miles, shouldn't take more than 1 hour and 15 minutes.

A Journey from Owerri, Imo State to Aba, Abia State, approximately 44 miles, shouldn't take more than 1 hour 15 minutes.

A Journey from Enugu, Enugu, to Aba, Abia State, approximately 110 miles, should not take more than 3 hours and 10 mins.

A journey from Ilorin, Kwara, to Jos Plateau, approximately 460 miles, should not take more than 10 hours 25 minutes

A journey from Ikorodu, Lagos to Abeokuta, Ogun, approximately 60 miles, should not take more than 1 hour 43 minutes.
[/b]

As someone who travelled some of these routes in the 1980s/90s, I can verify, my experience that the Google Map published approximate Travel Times are near accurate. But I would like to know how close you think those numbers(Travel Times) are close to your travel times today on the same roads, and what you think that says of road development both in your state, and inter state.

Please feel free to add your own approximates, from Google and your travels. https://maps.google.com/

The algorithm used on map based navigation to determine travel times and arrival times have variables which are assumptions and never absolute. Google assumes an average speed on Nigeria roads, example - Lagos Ibadan will probably have an assumed speed of 100km/h - thus, whatever travel times Google maps and APIs comes up with are never accurate - they are mathematical guesses based on an assumed travel speed (I can decide to do 180km/h on the same Lagos Ibadan Expy). But we all know there is no official travel speed in real life - so, whatever Google's dynamic maps gives is an assumption and its nothing near what it is in real life.

How do I know? Because I also make same navigation apps and knows what happens mathematically, and I thus wonder how this translates to good roads or judging them so to say.

[size=13pt]Google Maps does not use any set MPH values for calculate driving times, even on Nigerian roads. It uses the speed limits on the roads themselves, as provided by such agencies as the FRSC, and data providers, etc. [/size]

How do I know this? Because I have also worked on navigation applications and have worked at the local university on creating, and updating existing apps for our local transport system here.

Google Maps does not use any set MPH values for calculate driving times, even on Nigerian roads. It uses the speed limits on the roads themselves, as provided by such agencies as the FRSC, and data providers, etc.


How?

http://www.ceaser-web.com/cm/maps/multipointroutedb_asp/default.asp

Internet Explorer only

(not to divert from topic)

Apart from the algorithms applied in calculating these distances, there are issues with the road design and terrains. The calculations involved may sometimes ignore the differential speeds attained due to bends, hilly terrain and non-linear nature of roads.

Tony Spike: Apart from the algorithms applied in calculating these distances, there are issues with the road design and terrains. The calculations involved may sometimes ignore the differential speeds attained due to bends, hilly terrain and non-linear nature of roads.

Your on point Sir

Tony Spike: Apart from the algorithms applied in calculating these distances, there are issues with the road design and terrains. The calculations involved may sometimes ignore the differential speeds attained due to bends, hilly terrain and non-linear nature of roads.

I am not entirely convinced that road design and terrain should drastically impact the calculation of travel times on our Nigerian roads, especially given that many of these roads have been around for at least 30 years.

Rather than continuing to deviate from the topic, why not post your travel time and we can easily compare it with that others also post.

A journey from Ikorodu, Lagos to Sagamu, Ogun, Nigeria, approximately 22.5 miles long, should take approximately 40 minutes.



I can verify the above because as a youngling, I schooled in Sagamu and we took the approximately 40 minutes drive from Ikorodu to Sagamu every day.

Okay, Oga kobojunkie, I'll give you my travel times on some few routes.

Kobojunkie:
A journey from Ikeja, Lagos to Benin City, Edo, Nigeria, approximately 191 miles long, should take approximately 4 hours and 12 mins.

I think this travel time will depend on the route taken. If the Lagos-Sagamu-Ore-Benin route is taken, this travel time should be near-accurate. But, if the Lagos-Ibadan-Akure-Owo-Benin route is taken, then the travel time should be close to 5 hours.

Kobojunkie:
A journey from Benin City, Edo to Onitsha, Anambra, of approximately 143 miles, should take approximately 2 hours.

Using the Benin-Umunede-Asaba-Osha route, this travel time seems accurate enough.

Kobojunkie:
A journey from Yaba, Lagos to Onitsha, Anambra, approximately 283 miles, should not cost no more than 8 hours.

This also looks correct if travelling through Sagamu-Ore-Benin route, although it may be longer through Ibadan-Akure-Owo route.

I think this is my opinion. My travel times analysis are based on not more than 100 km/h speed.

Tony Spike: Okay, Oga kobojunkie, I'll give you my travel times on some few routes.
I think this travel time will depend on the route taken. If the Lagos-Sagamu-Ore-Benin route is taken, this travel time should be near-accurate. But, if the Lagos-Ibadan-Akure-Owo-Benin route is taken, then the travel time should be close to 5 hours.


Using the Benin-Umunede-Asaba-Osha route, this travel time seems accurate enough.


This also looks correct if travelling through Sagamu-Ore-Benin route, although it may be longer through Ibadan-Akure-Owo route.

I think this is my opinion. My travel times analysis are based on not more than 100 km/h speed.

If you took time to consider the travel times, they are not based on 100 km/h either. This you will note if you considered that journey from Lagos to Benin,about 300 km, would take 3 hours to complete if at 100km/h. Since that is not the case, may I ask that we drop this baseless idea that Google sets the km/h for it's calculations at 100km/h.

That being said, I have to ask, are you able to provide approximate time/period/year when you made these trips? The point of the thread is to compare what google says to what average travellers on Nigerian roads really do experience.

Nice one, Kobojunkie.

Never new Lagos and Onitsha were that close - only 283 miles!

What about Lagos to Ibadan?

How far is aba frm edo state?

Sometimes I don't know why important topics as this doesn't make it to front page .