[/caption]By Niyi Tabiti/Gistmaster.com
When i got an email inviting me for the workshop organized by Google in Nigeria. I was anxiously looking forward to powerful presentations from staff of the online company.
I knew Larry Page and Sergey Binn, the two founders of Google must have a productive team working in what I call a multi billion dollars online empire! I looked at myself in the mirror and said "Niyi Tabiti, one day you are going to build an online empire like this too!Dreams, dreams,dreams....lol
I attended the two day special session workshop at Civic Centre, Lagos for webmasters and reporters. of course I had a pre- knowledge of some of these things but it was great being there because it served as a refresher course.
Facilitators at the event did well. Eve Andersson was my favourite!
From what gistmaster.com gathered, Google has an office in Nigeria but the address is hard to find because it is still small and they just can't take the large turn out of people that would be interested in going there.You can always reach them online. Google office in Kenya is bigger than the one in South Africa.
Insight into Google Workshop in Lagos
Google seeks to help online news publishers build bigger audiences, keep their audiences productively engaged and generate more revenue. In a recent workshop, by Google in Nigeria, certain tools and platforms, which enables effective use of the search engine by web users of all kinds were highlighted. These includes quick search tips, specialty tools, advanced image search, and special copora.Other tools include Trends and Research comprising of insights for search,google trends, Google books Ngram viewer and public data explorer.
[caption id="attachment_4942" align="alignright" width="320" caption="Eve Andersson,a Google staff and Niyi Tabiti, News Editor, Gistmaster.com"]
[/caption]There are other Google Apps and tools aimed at helping one manage materials and sources and these are Maps, The get tool Map which helps you customize maps to your story, Google applications, Google alerts and Google translate.
For field reporters, Google provides, “Google on the go”(mobile).It comprises Google OR codes which creates 3D barcodes that can be embedded in print publications, Google goggle which allows journalists embed their reporting in physical landscapes. It also provides Google maps for mobile phones, this gives spoken turn by turn directions when a particular destination is spoken into the phone. Finally is the search by voice App and it gives weather reports, flight times, directions, images etc on your mobile phones.
On the publishing side, Google news, web search and igoogle helps increase traffic by sending about 4 million clicks monthly to news publishers. Advertising and analytics were also discussed.
YouTube Direct allows the media or public request, review, and rebroadcast user submitted videos. Others include Google earth, Google map, Google translate and Google fusion. Google also provides a Google news archive and Google fast flip which stores newspaper publications and articles in partnership with media houses and allows you flip through Google pages at a fast pace respectively.Joseph Mucheru the google lead in Sub Saharan Africa is from Kenya
[caption id="attachment_4943" align="alignright" width="480" caption="Dr. Julie J Taylor of Google South Africa, Lucillia, also of Google and webmasters/reporters at the Google Workshop in Lagos"]
[/caption]Recently, Google brought together over 1000 tech savvy entrepreneurs and developers at a web and mobile conference, focused on the future of web application development and training on Google’s products and online business skills.
Google seeks to get more Nigerian users online by developing accessible, relevant and sustainable internet ecosystem. According to worldinternetstats and international telecommunication union, Nigerian internet users make up 28.9% or 44m of the population.Therefore in Nigeria, Google’s activities are directed towards helping to reduce access barrier facing potential internet users, helping to make the internet relevant and useful to Nigerians and then generally strengthen an internet ecosystem in Nigeria and across Africa that is viable and sustainable.
Specifically, Google has embarked on the Google university access program that will impact over 100,000 students in 6 Nigerian universities ,and has localized its products in Nigeria such as Google search in local languages .it also provided information on elections through out Nigeria through the Nigerian elections portal among other recent developments.
Google in Nigeria operates on the G-Nigeria platform under the leadership of these ambassadors:
[caption id="attachment_4945" align="aligncenter" width="480" caption="some staff of Google at Civic Centre, Lagos"]
[/caption]Joseph Mucheru,Google lead for sub-Saharan Africa ,Juliet Ehimuan, lead/country manager Google nigeria and Lola Masha, business development manager ,Google Nigeria.
Newsroom: News@Gistmaster.com
Reporter: niyi@gistmaster.com
Other Links
Staff prays for GTBank MD, Tayo Aderinokun as he marks birthday
Photos: Genevieve Nnaji launch clothing line
Seun Olubukola and Niyi Adewunmi's wedding photos
Omoni Oboli wins Multi million Naira Dettol endorsement deal
