Typology, Functions and Production Technology of Cartographic Products in a Developing Country: The Case of Nigeria

This paper examines the typology, functional use, production expertise and technology of cartographic products; and their societal relevance in Nigeria. The result shows that different professionals produce maps, and the method of map production is predominantly manual. The influence of modern technologies (with a x2 of 0.34 at 95% level of confidence) was not yet significant. Nevertheless, digital cartography is gradually making an impact especially in the petroleum industry. Specifically, it was found that 76% of the cartographic products are produced manually, while automated and semi-automated cartographic processes produce 24%. Functionally, maps and spatial data are used in various fields and for different purposes: 23% for planning, 18% for education, 17% for fieldwork, 16.5% for environmental and resources management, 16% for tourism, 6% for navigation and street guides, and 9% for other purposes. A variance analysis (ANOVA, F-ratio of 9.58 at 95% level of confidence) showed that there is a strong structural relationship between typology and functional use of cartographic products in Nigeria. The findings further show that the typology of cartographic products are topographic maps, geological and hydrological maps, thematic maps, general reference maps and atlases, township, route and navigational charts, aerospace remote sensor data, cadastral maps, and other maps. The study complements the ICA Commission on Maps and Spatial Data Use efforts to stimulate thinking about the use of maps and spatial data, categorise typology of maps, and understand the impact of geoinformatic technologies on map production and presentation, especially in developing countries.