Friday J. Ogaleye
Department of History & International Studies, Edo State University, Uzairue, Nigeria.
& Olukayode A. Faleye
Department of History & International Studies, Edo State University, Uzairue, Nigeria.
Email: olukayode.faleye@edouniversity.edu.ng; kayodefaleye@gmail.com
Abstract
This study examines the relevance of geospatial analysis in African historiography in the twenty-first century. It explores the complex relationships between space exploration, security paradigms, and historical development using satellite technologies and Geographic Information Systems (GIS). The study of geospatial analysis within African historiography is rare in the extant literature. It is for this reason that this paper emphasises the vital significance of geospatial data in the historical framing of cross-border mobility, intercultural exchanges and environmental changes over time. It concludes that the chronological records of landscape changes and mobility provide a rare insight that could elaborate existing oral and archival data to provide a rare insight into historical changes with implications for national security and development in Africa and Nigeria in particular.
Keywords: Geospatial Data, African Historiography, National Security, Spatial Analysis, Satellite Imagery, Historical Narratives, Security Strategies.
Introduction
The beginning of the twenty-first century brought about a significant period of change, during which the combination of geospatial data and space technology became an important influence on historiography. The evolution of geospatial analysis in historiography occurred alongside global progress in satellite technologies. The development of space technologies fosters an environment conducive to the deployment of satellites for Earth observation purposes. The creation of organizations like the National Aeronautic and Space Administration (NASA) in the twentieth century formed an important foundation for geospatial analysis. The later launch of Earth observation satellites, particularly those belonging to the Landsat programme, profoundly transformed the technique of collecting data and provided an unparalleled understanding of the world‘s varied landscapes and environmental history (Jensen, 2007).