I am really happy to see Sat Nav devices developed for use in Nigeria. However one has got to be careful because it has now become an all commers' affair.

Sometime last year i was so excited about the possibility of owning a Sat Nav. My research led me to http://routepilotnigeria.com the official website of Route Pilot Nigeria owned by Navigation Integrated Services Ltd. Eventually i contacted their office at Gbmioluwa close, Opebi and bought a unit for N70,000.  Looking at it in retrospect, it was a wasted investment.

I tried using it on my recent trip to Kebbi from Lagos, it was a disaster!!! To start with, there was no indication regarding what state or city you are at any point in time. I would have thought that having the cities shown on the map window to track your progress should be a basic requirement. Most of the roads are labelled either Major Highway or Express road, how useful could that be? Using this device will definitely help one to get lost!!!

The pricing was another matter. The only cities covered at street level by the Route Pilot Nigeria sat nav were Lagos and Abuja with the nonesese stuff they called National highway, yet the device was sold for N70,000. One would have thought the premium lies in the cost of the Nigerian map provided, but i saw my friend's gps containing the street level map of over 180 cities and its sold for N60,000 by ceaser-web at Allen!!
So whenever you decided to buy a Sat Nav, i would really suggest that you take your time and consider what some people are deddling in the name of gps otherwise you stand the chance of owning a brand new sat nav that is not useful. The gps navigation being sold by Navigation Integrated Services Ltd is definitely not worth the investment in its current state.

@Aliu

Thanks a lot for your input - we are battling very well to root out fake sat nav developers/sellers in Nigeria. How can you say you have a sat nav for Nigeria and only two cities are in there. Ours covers close to 200 cities now - down to street level and moe cities are getting added on a daily basis.

So, be careful when you buy, if it has just two cities, consider what happens when you need it in cities such as Ibadan, PH etc.

I have used the maps from 3rd Dimension, both on my bike and in the car
and I will surely recommend them to anyone.

I have ridden all around Nigeria and the maps easily route.
Street level for towns visited are accurate enough.

Even small villages show roads but no names as can be expected.

No, I do not work for 3rd Dimension and as a matter of fact, never been to their offices personally.

What is good is good

Now if they would just hurry up and release the West Africa maps,

Funny thread. with loads of ignorant view.

As already mentioned, GPS will work in most place on earth. It was created for the exact purpose. However, it requires local mapping which from what I can tell it is not readily available in Naija. This is down to poor town planning and unregulated social development.

The claim been made by the original poster is interesting, however I will ask him to please explain a few things. Judging by what you posted there appear to have been a few discrepancies in my opinion.

Your post will suggest that it can do a door to door navigation given the current state of town planning in Nigeria, I will please ask you to explain how this is possible. From what I can tell, you are using an overhead map imagery that is more or less similar to what is available from several ordinance-like sites that provide such services. With such map, I am certain that only a 2d rendering will be available and this do not appear to come with "door-to-door".
Also, the map will not be very much detailed on the local road as most will give image that are a bit old. For example, Google earth view maps are a few years dated due to security reasons.

Your ideas are good and I know a few people who have done similar things - I am an amateur hiker and have used several GPS stuff. . I think you need to remain calm and just answer as many questions as possible if you can. No need getting mad when people question your motives.

ElRazur:

Funny thread. with loads of ignorant view.

As already mentioned, GPS will work in most place on earth. It was created for the exact purpose. However, it requires local mapping which from what I can tell it is not readily available in Naija. This is down to poor town planning and unregulated social development.

The claim been made by the original poster is interesting, however I will ask him to please explain a few things. Judging by what you posted there appear to have been a few discrepancies in my opinion.

Your post will suggest that it can do a door to door navigation given the current state of town planning in Nigeria, I will please ask you to explain how this is possible. From what I can tell, you are using an overhead map imagery that is more or less similar to what is available from several ordinance-like sites that provide such services. With such map, I am certain that only a 2d rendering will be available and this do not appear to come with "door-to-door".
Also, the map will not be very much detailed on the local road as most will give image that are a bit old. For example, Google earth view maps are a few years dated due to security reasons.

Your ideas are good and I know a few people who have done similar things - I am an amateur hiker and have used several GPS stuff. . I think you need to remain calm and just answer as many questions as possible if you can. No need getting mad when people question your motives.

ElRazur

Simply look here:

http://www.ceaser-web.com/satnavs.htm

What do you understand by door to doo navigation? Door to door navigation simply means the maps and device will direct you from say, No 8, Olaide Tomori Street in Ikeja, Lagos, to no 90, Ademola Adetokunbo Crescent, Wuse 2, Abuja. The door to door here is N08, and No 90, this is different from apps and softwares that only asks you to input street names to street names without house numbers to house numbers.

Now, you thought our town planning maps are poor, you are in essence referring to government, what we use are maps produced by us and by us ourselves, yes, we buy satellite imageries, digitize and then go to the field to mark street names and points of interests such as schools, hotels, hospitals etc.

As per door to door, what we have done is what in information system circles is called address range data collation - address range means, for every street in your street newtwork database, you have recorded the house number ranges on both sides of the road, i.e., house number starting left, house number ending left, house number starting right, and house number ending right - with these in the database, it is a simple algorithm of interpolating for house numbers along each street within the database -

These same database is used for address geocoding, in which case you have a list of addresses and you want to mark them as points on a map - the address ranges are used in geocoding, example, a bank wants to see the spatial spread of her customers, they come to us with their address database, we apply our address range database to it and we come with location of each customer as points on a digital map, this way they can see clusters or spreads of their customers and use this to decide where to pop in new bank branches.

It is not about good ideas, it is about working ideas - from inception tonow, we have sold over 10,000 copies and we have recieved great accolades in return, I have personally used it to navigate from Abuja to Makurdi, From LAgos to Ekiti State, from Abuja to jos and to PH, it is simply what you know it to be overseas.

I cant believe folks are still buying GPS for 60k and above. .

saddening

Gaminechic:

I cant believe folks are still buying GPS for 60k and above. .

saddening

What does this mean? How much will you pay for it? I am sure you will tell us!

For interested folks - our devices plus maps now sells for 50k - 160 city maps plus 30000POIs - Go anywhere easily.

hmmm

I first posted here as Viante

What a mistake!

Gaminechic:

I first posted here as Viante

What a mistake! 

it is so sad what money makes of a man. At the time you posted, you have your heads intact, but because COTEK gave you money, all hell went loose.

Na wa ooo, weytin dey happen with nigerians!!!! NAVIGATION SYSTEM is a very simple and feasible technology, and can work anywhere,

They are probably diverting people into shrines for human rituals.
This is about the dummest thing!!! with or without navigator, dont u have an idea of the road:

Since Nigeria is still building new roads and naming new streets, all u have to do is to update the system regularly

Technology, technology, if na GARMIN wey develop this one no one would have complained,
@Labiyemi, thumbs up abeg, god job!!

AT @Labiyemmy

Good work man. Would definitely drop by for a test drive.

In the meantime, kindly advise how much it would cost to get the full map on an sd card.

Secondly, are the maps generic such that the same one would work on different devices say for example, a tmobile G1 phone, Nokia 5800 nav phone and a garmin 285WT GPS device?

You mentioned earlier that your Allen office doesn't open on weekends (i stand to be corrected), could you make an arrangement for weekend test drives, you can even batch it up by having scheduled sessions such that all the people that arrive at the same time can be given a joint tour.

I believe this would greatly add to your efficiency as well as provide your clients with an opportunity to interact with each other thus allowing the less informed ones to benefit from the knowledge of the yech savvy ones as the session progresses.

Anyway, good work and congrats!

Hi Halo

Thanks - it costs only 15k to get the maps on an SD card for use on the Garmin device. The SD card is locked to one device to avoid copying and un waranted distributions.

We do open our office on weekends on appointments- the number to call to book such is: 08055794269 - Ask to speak with Mr Deji Alabi.

I have read this thread with interest and would like to add a few points.

I bought the maps from Mr Alabi's company in 2007 and I have used it in Lagos since.

I gave a positive feedback that the accuracy as at then in Lagos was about 75%, it help as it took me to most places and as at then the house numbers were not working.

I was sceptical as well initially, but because Mr Alabi lives in the UK and I was able to go to his place for a live Demo, I decided to buy although it was expensive compared to my TomTom.

I have just contacted him again as he asked me towards the end of 2008 to come for a free upgrade and I did not show up. But he has just replied to me again to come for an upgrade of the maps to the 200 cities now covered.

This shows credibility on his part and he took all my comments on-board when i came back from Lagos in 2007.

There are challenges without a doubt as most of the roads in VI were suddenly changed to one way roads and he immediately told me he was going to get his field guys to investigate again.

I am looking forward to using the new maps in some few weeks and I will come back to give my honest opinion about it.

Thanks @Alanbow!

I use a Google smartphone, Nexus One. Any hope of this working on my device?

Not too sure@MarkTwain

Will let you know after a few research.

let's just say i'm still waiting for your final response on my NexusOne

@Mark

Is this phone windows mobile operated? Please let me know.

@Poster. I am really not a technical guy. My car already has a factory-fitted navigation system, I believe all I need is a map (on DVD) applicable to Nigeria. Or what else do I really need?

@Costee

The DVD systems are not out yet.

@labiyemmy:

@Costee

The DVD systems are not out yet.

Please pardon my ignorance, does that mean my system will be bypassed by your product if I'm to acquire one?

Bros - what do you mean by bypass?

@labiyemmy:

Bros - what do you mean by bypass?

If the DVD systems are not yet available, how may your product fit into or work with the navigation system in my car?

what brand is it?

@labiyemmy:

what brand is it?

The car is a 2006 Nissan maxima. The following is written on the navigation manual:"This map DVD-ROM has been prepared by
ZENRIN CO., LTD. under license from Navigation Technologies Corporation. ZENRIN CO., LTD." What next?

No - The Unit itself must have a make - not the DVD. Can you look for it?

Hi folks!

I have fully working Garmin-based GPS Navigation units with updated map of roadways in Nigeria.

Am based in Abuja so if u want a demo u can call me on 08038023163 or 08052256768.

Cheers!

Hi, Please let me know if your system work with a 2005 Lexus GX 470 Navigational system by Mark Levinson

Hi Favour.

The DVDs are not out yet- call Mr. Deji Alabi on 0805 579 4269

Fellow Nairalanders, I personally use a nav system here in 9ja and it works amazingly. suprising enof, I bought it in Imo state from a friend who came in from the U.S. with this, I cld drive myself to/fro Gombe, a track I've neva used b4.