By: Felix Ikpotor
As part of efforts aimed at assisting journalist and other rights organization in monitoring air and soil pollution, a Civil Society Organisation, Media Awareness Initiative (MAJI) has unveiled an electronic application capable of monitoring pollution and giving real time data.
The application known as Datacab, which is still in its trial stage has the capacity to collate the level of air and soil pollution and calibrate same in a simplified and easy to use format for members of the public.
Executive Coordinator, Media Awareness and Justice Initiative (MAJI), Okoro Emmanuel Onyekachi, while presenting the app to a cross section of journalists and other civil society practitioners in Port Harcourt, said the application when fully functional would aid journalist, civil society organisations, community based organisations, researchers and other members of the public access accurate data of pollution especially in the Niger Delta region.
Speaking on the capabilities of the app, Onyekachi said it also identifies air quality in different forms and in different locations using devices deployed in the various communities.
“Today we presented our Datacab mobile application, we opened it up for revalidation and review.
“As an Organisation which is progressive in nature, we intend that our outputs and technical outcomes are reviewed by our target audiences and our primary target audience is newsrooms, journalists, CSO’s and community based organisations. We believe that their review of this app will further improve the efficiency of the app will improve the overall usability of the app and would ensure that the app attains the desired professional standard so that it can be used by newsrooms, it can be used by CSO’s, it can be used by CBO’s and researchers for their independent work across the Niger Delta,” he said.
Onyekachi explained that other benefits of the mobile application is that it identifies and report crude oil and other spillages as they occur in the various communities in the Niger Delta.
“First of all the app identifies the number of spills in Rivers. It simplifies it in such a way that users of that app can identify locations within the app these spills are occuring.
“The app also identifies air quality in different forms and in different locations using devices which we have deployed in these communities. This app is also open to inform the general public on how much pollution has affected the communities within the Delta,” he said.
He noted that the project which is funded by the United States Consulate in Nigeria is primarily built for newsrooms, investigative journalists, researchers, CSO’s and community based organisations working in the Niger Delta.
“We have two targets, one primary target and one secondary target. Our primary targets are the newsrooms, investigative journalists, researchers, CSO’s community based organisations working in the Delta.
“Our secondary targets are actually the public users, people in the public space who sit down and read news and also engage with news reports. We believe that a combination of these two primary and secondary target groups would overall improve the efficiency and usability of the app and ensure that enough people can be able to have access to quality data stories that can inform policies, advocacy campaigns and the way government deal with these issues going forward.
“This project is funded by the United States Consulate in Nigeria and given backing by the US Consulate General, Will Stevens,” Onyekachi said.
