Good day all,
If you care about learning GIS – Geographic Information System, then here is a free class for you.
I recently concluded a set of video tutorials on Quantum GIS (qgis.org) where I thought the basic concepts of GIS – Geographic Information System using QGIS platform.

Watch the videos on my YouTube channel at: www.youtube.com/user/TheCMSSchool/videos . The videos are labeled “GIS Lab Practice video-1 to 15” makesure you watch them serially from 1 to 15.

GIS Topics Covered includes:-
* Introduction - QuantumGIS (QGIS)
* QuantumGIS Software Overview and Installation
* QuantumGIS Software User Interface
* Setting Projections and Coordinate Reference Systems (CRS)
* Identifying GIS File Setup - Shapefiles
* Adding CSV File Data
* Adding Raster Data
* Geo-Referencing Raster Data
* Creating Shapefiles (Point, Line, and Polygon) And Attribute Data
* Digitizing Raster and Adding Attributes
* Adding Attribute Data to Vector Layer
* Basic Query Analysis
* Composing/Preparing Maps
* Soft and Hard Copy Outputs
* Screen turn out of Query results

Feel free to send me feedback about the tutorials. You can post your GIS questions here for help and support.
Warm regards
Umar Yusuf
www.youtube.com/user/TheCMSSchool/videos

Thats good from you. I am a geography student of UNN already a sophomore. I would attend my first GIS lectures when we resumes in january (due to the strike), please how lucreative is GIS and can a person with little knowledge abt computers be an expert in GIS? ...i am sorry i would hv loved to watch those videos u posted but i am currently using a phone that barely enables youtube. Thanks in anticipation!

christe james: Thats good from you. I am a geography student of UNN already a sophomore. I would attend my first GIS lectures when we resumes in january (due to the strike), please how lucreative is GIS and can a person with little knowledge abt computers be an expert in GIS? ...i am sorry i would hv loved to watch those videos u posted but i am currently using a phone that barely enables youtube. Thanks in anticipation!

Good to hear about you! In developed countries GIS is applied to virtually everything u can think of as long as it has location…. Banking, land management, infrastructural development, security, agriculture, urban planning, entertainment just to mention few of them.
We are gradually getting there; almost all states in Nig. are now deploying GIS on land related management (Abuja – has AGIS, etc). There are lots other sectors that are utilizing GIS extensively.

GIS could be learned by anyone, including those with little or no computer knowledge! After all, there is the Manual/Analog GIS. However, to get the most out of GIS you need computer knowledge.

bro umar tank u for opening dis thread.am a 200l student in d dept of geography.well i want to be specialized in GIS OR HYDROLOGY.hw can u convince me to go into GIS as regards d employment opportunities

nice thread i must say, but sir, what aspect and level of computer knowledge are required or relevant in the study of GIS, and how much will it cost me to be a gis expert?

Thank you very much ...i will still follow d thread to learn more.

ADEWALE7777: bro umar tank u for opening dis thread.am a 200l student in d dept of geography.well i want to be specialized in GIS OR HYDROLOGY. hw can u convince me to go into GIS as regards d employment opportunities

@ADEWALE7777, u are welcome on board.
Well am not a career adviser, what I can say is; The most important thing you can do when trying to choose a career, is to pick one that is right for you. That means it needs to fit well with your interests, skills, work-related values, and personality type. Why? If it does, there is a better chance you will be satisfied with it and enjoy your work.
You may read the article here on “How to Choose the Right Career”: http://www.wikihow.com/Choose-the-Right-Career
My candid advice is, if you are passionate about maps go for GIS

akins56: nice thread i must say, but sir, what aspect and level of computer knowledge are required or relevant in the study of GIS, and how much will it cost me to be a gis expert?

@ akins56,
Basic Software aspect of computer knowledge is enough to get you started with GIS.
You see GIS is not new, what is new and fast growing is the introduction of Computers/digital technology into GIS. Before the advent of Computers/digital technology, maps and related data have been used to solve problems which have lots of drawback compare to the modern time computerized GIS.
There are different forums for learning GIS, depending on your educational objectives. Traditional academic programs provide a GIS education that results in either a degree (bachelors or masters) or a certificate.
There are a few online options to learn GIS for free. See http://www.gislounge.com/learn-gis-for-free/

christe james: Thank you very much ...i will still follow d thread to learn more.

You are most welcome.

Mr umaryusuf, I must commend your efforts so far. I'm also a GIS person, and I run a Geo-spatial firm. Its a good thing that you handled a qgis tutorial because for one, it is an open source software unlike ArcGIS and Ersdas. Anyway if you don't mind, I will be on the sidelines in case there are some questions, I can contribute to. Here is a thread where I have been enlightening Nigerians on the benefits of GIS www.nairaland.com/1498170/what-geographic-information-systems-gis

^@ PalmTree, thanks for stopping by. I will bookmark your thread and make positive inputs.
You have correctly said it, QGIS is open source i.e FREE unlike ArcGIS and others. So Nigerians (particularly students) and those who may not want to spend heavy money on GIS software, have good opportunity to learning GIS.

Quantum GIS (also called QGIS): is Free and Open Source Geographic Information System software. With QGIS you can Create, edit, visualize, analyze and publish geospatial information on Windows, Mac, Linux, and BSD (Android coming soon). The latest Version of the software at the time of writing, is Version 2.0 Dufour (official website is at: www.qgis.org).

Note: I used version 1.8 Lisboa for the video tutorials here: http://www.youtube.com/user/TheCMSSchool/videos

QGIS has a simple learning curve; it can do 100% of what the casual GIS users require, and about 80% of what the power users require. I strongly recommend QGIS to anyone beginning in GIS after all it is FREE.

Mr Umar, please have you used QGIS for terrain analysis like DTM or DEM? and also have you used it for fluvial analysis like flow direction and accumulation. I asked this questions because I'm thinking of switching from the expensive ArcGIS to QGIS... Thanks

PalmTree: Mr Umar, please have you used QGIS for terrain analysis like DTM or DEM? and also have you used it for fluvial analysis like flow direction and accumulation. I asked this questions because I'm thinking of switching from the expensive ArcGIS to QGIS... Thanks

U are thinking of switching...., then ur question is better structured as “Can QGIS be used for terrain analysis like DTM or DEM and fluvial analysis like flow direction and accumulation?” – and my answer will a bold YES

I will soon post an article on: Why consultants, mines and organizations should migrate to QGIS?

Choosing QGIS over ArcGIS by gidahatari

Why consultants, mines and organizations should migrate to QGIS?

This question have been popular for the last three or four years. I have been using Quantum GIS (QGIS) from version 0.8, now QGIS is on version 1.8 and soon will be on version 2.0.

At the beginning it was not easy to get used to the QGIS environment, and sometimes I just did some basic stuff, and then shift to ArcGIS to complete my work. The real jump to QGIS was on the second time I taught “GIS on Water Resources Managenment” course at the PUCP in Lima. In a moment of academic, artistic and open minded inspiration I decided to change the GIS software from ArcView to QGIS. The logic behind that was: if I gave the course in QGIS, I would end learning QGIS as well. The university environment allows you to make these kind of experiments.

Why GIS software for consultants?

My major is on groundwater numerical modeling. While modeling, 70% of the work is related to preprocessing and postprocessing data with GIS software. So I consider myself to have a respectable opinion on GIS tools and software.

Based on my experience as water resources consultant, I have seen that not all persons related to consultancy on water resources have capability to manage a GIS software. My dream is to have 70% of water resources consultants with GIS capabilities. Sometimes I have found that even less than 20% percent of water resources specialist can handle GIS and the rest has no other tool to analyze water resources rather than MSExcel… amazing!.

Due to the spatial distributed nature of the physical process related to the water cycle the use of GIS software is critical. Trying to understand the water cycle on a basin without GIS is similar to trying to calculate the gravity in mars with a pocket calculator.

QGIS or ArcMap?

QGIS of course!

ArcMap is an excellent software, with many tools for water resources but it requires a license that is costly.

Some companies say: “Our organization have a global agreement with ESRI and we have ArcGIS in all our offices”. That is true, but it is also true that a company won't have ArcGIS for all users, and in all desktops and laptops. The receptionist and the watchman might require GIS software as well.

QGIS is the most widely available open source GIS tool with a proven track record and a vibrant community and plugin ecosystem. It’s nothing short of amazing how this community has achieved feature parity, stability, and ease of use relative to proprietary desktop solutions. It offers a truly open alternative that lowers barriers to entry and total cost of ownership, has no license fees, and runs on the operating system of your choice (extract taken from Boundless).

As a water resources consultant I haven't found any spatial analysis related to water resources that QGIS was not capable to do. Even if the standard tools are not enough, QGIS came with a series of plugin that extends its capabilities.

How to implement QGIS in a company?

That is a hard question, and the answer is related to the marketing of innovation. To change the actual ArcGIS status-quo we have to use the WOW factor, similar of what Steve Jobs used to market the IPOD. QGIS is amazing, but we have to show it to the users.

There is an issue with the CAD/GIS departments, that are a group of AutoCAD/ArcGIS users, were all the spatial analysis of a company is centralized. Using a psychological approach, the CAD/GIS department will be the first trolls against the implementation of QGIS on a company, because they will fear of losing their relevance and job if more people on the organization use GIS software. Even though I have found some really open minded ArcGIS users, but they are not the average.

Organizational policies are another obstacle, you will be amazed how complicated would be to install a open source software on a company.

Can ArcGIS and QGIS coexist on a company?

By sure yes. QGIS and ArcGIS share the same file formats since those are ruled by the OGC. With the implementation of QGIS for all users, the workload for spatial analysis will increase and all ArcGIS licenses will be used as well. The CAD/GIS departments will be always needed and their responsibilities will be upgraded to spatial data management, and standardization of GIS products.

There is a bright future on GIS with QGIS. Download and install QGIS on your computer from www.qgis.org

Source: http://gidahatari.com/ih-en/consultants-mines-organizations-should-migrate-qgis

Please GiS gurus, I am working on my project and will need satellite images of a village outside minna Niger State for the years 2006, 2010, and 2014. Where do I get such images and how do I get it for free if possible.

theSpark: Please GiS gurus, I am working on my project and will need satellite images of a village outside minna Niger State for the years 2006, 2010, and 2014. Where do I get such images and how do I get it for free if possible.

Have you checked Google image history for that area? You should get one there.

umaryusuf:

Have you checked Google image history for that area? You should get one there.

Google imagery was my traditional first choice. The problem is the map showing as the satellite image for 2005 is showing buildings that were built later than that.

I also have difficulty accessing satellite images taken this year.

umaryusuf:


Have you checked Google image history for that area? You should get one there.

Hello Umar, just saw this thread I've decided to bookmark it.
Thank you for creating this important topic.
I am a TPL. The use of GIS for spatial identification of of various FUS and also in statistical+spatial historical analysis and future projection cannot be over emphasized.
I have been using GIS since my university days.
I however appeal that this goldmine of a thread should stay online. All TPLs whether students or non students should know GIS and its application.

@ lomomike,
Welcome and thanks for ur kind words. Hope those in charge of the site read ur appeal?

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Chai, dem don hijack this tin from umaryusuf
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Or call me on 08106244065 to add u up to the WhatsApp group