Geojournalism, data journalism and crowdsourcing: the case of Eco-Nai+ in Nigeria

Data journalism is increasingly vital in our data-driven society, requiring professionals to gather, analyze, and visualize data for public understanding. While scholars recognize its significance, the audience-centric aspects remain underexplored. This study focuses on Eco-Nai+, a digital geo-journalism platform aiming to be Nigeria’s first. It provides interactive data access via web and mobile apps and tools for geospatial data handling. Employing a multi-method approach, including document analysis, interviews, and platform analysis, this study examines how geo-data enhances data-driven storytelling, fosters cooperation and co-creation in data collection, and creates a new income stream for news organizations. From a business standpoint, Eco-Nai+ functions as a “newstech” company, capitalizing on digital age challenges. It offers journalists a means to inform and engage the public and policymakers in vital environmental discussions, especially in environments with limited open data sources. Crowdsourcing data is critical in this context, where open data and freedom of information legislation are lacking. This research contributes to the data journalism discourse by exploring audience involvement in data-driven storytelling and advocating for public participation in data journalism projects to enhance reporting and understand data’s societal role. It also underscores the value of geojournalism skills in delivering spatial products and thematic maps, adding context and insights beyond numerical data. Eco-Nai+ exemplifies the potential for data journalism to bridge information gaps and drive meaningful conversations in an increasingly data-centric world.