Nigeria Content Online

Google has always
claimed that one of its goals is to ensure the provision of relevant
content to all of its users, regardless of where they are and where
they may come from.

I am the first to
admit that they have done a very good job of mapping Lagos, such that
Google Maps has become a very useful tool. Some of the company’s
critics believe that so much data in the hands of one entity is
dangerous, but for end users faced with certain challenges, that is a
moot point. What we want is for things to be done efficiently. We can
worry about semantics afterwards.

One of the key
challenges that we have in the Nigerian online space is a lack of data
about our part of the world. Searching out “natural wonders of nature
in Nigeria”, as an example, does not give the feeling of a complete
search. Indeed, the fifth top result is actually about the Grand Canyon
in the USA! This void is one that Google aims to fill with a new
product, Baraza.

According to Lola
Masha, Google’s Business Development Manager in Nigeria, Google Baraza
is a Question & Answer solution for English and French users. Its
three key advantages are its structure, the fact that it is powered by
Google’s search engine (I agree that that is a strong advantage), and
that it offers reward points for users.

The word ‘Baraza’
is a Swahili word that is close in meaning to the English word ‘forum.’
Actually, it is an expression for ‘collaborative space’, a place where
people can come to work together and share ideas and information.

At the moment,
Google Baraza is mainly a web-based application, with a strong focus on
desktop users. What must be taken into account, though, is that in
Nigeria, and the African continent as a whole, most new Internet users
are coming on board with the aid of mobile phones.

Ms Masha’s response
to that point was that Baraza already has a mobile platform in the
works, and that those mobile features would be integrated into the
platform shortly. Pressed for a definite timeline, she declined to
answer that, as it is company policy not to tell.

I asked if users of
Google products such as the Android operating system would have some
advantages over users of other platforms. The response disappointed me
a little. Google Baraza is meant to provide a strong focus on user
experience.

As a result of
that, all Google’s products, and not just Baraza, are focused on
efficiency across all platforms so that the user will get the best that
s/he can get, regardless of what platform s/he chooses.

All well and good, but in the meantime, the team at Baraza would do well to answer my question.