Our journey with DigGeoNaija began in January 2021 with a vision to transform Nigeria’s geoheritage through advanced technologies. Conceived by Dr. Kamaldeen O. Omosanya in 2020-2021, the concept aimed to harness Nigeria’s rich geological heritage for tourism and revenue generation.

Collaborating with Professor S.S. Dada and Dr Ganiyu Mosuro, Dr. Omosanya developed a plan to integrate Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR), and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to document and promote Nigeria’s geosites. This initiative led to the creation of the CONSORTIUM FOR GEOHERITAGE AND GEOPARKS IN NIGERIA (COGGEN) with key partners from the geoscience sector.

In January 2021, COGGEN was proposed as a specialist group within the Nigerian Mining and Geosciences Society (NMGS), and a committee was formed to document geosites into a comprehensive GIS project. Despite initial enthusiasm, the group became inactive in 2022. However, a pilot project was launched later that year with students from Olabisi Onabanjo University and Dr. Mosuro Ganiyu, featuring Olumo Rock as the first case study. This project received positive feedback, highlighting the importance of modern technology in preserving geoheritage. Moreover, in November 2023, Prof SS Dada and Dr Omosanya re-presented our strategies to the wider NMGS community through an abstract submitted to NGMGS conference in Jos. By January 2024, we expanded our team to include more students, renaming the initiative NextGen Geotourism Nigeria (NGGN). Our focus shifted to sites in Ogun and Oyo States.

By May 2024, we rebranded as Digital Geoheritage Innovation (DigGeoNaija) with a vision to revolutionize Nigeria’s geoheritage over the next four years. Our plans include developing a GIS repository, seeking funding, and using connections with investors and stakeholders in the tourism industry.