Nigeria’s bustling capital city, Abuja, recently played host to 16 influencers from various fields of endeavour when Google Nigeria, with its #JustAskMaps activation, decided to re-discover the hottest relaxation spots around the metropolis.
The event, held across three countries, Nigeria, Kenya and South Africa, enlisted various celebrities across media, technology and lifestyle to converge on select cities with the task to use their apps, Maps, Gemini and Search, Lens and Translate to discover some of the most popular leisure destinations in each city.
When I got the call to be part of the Nigerian team, I was elated because Google Nigeria always leaves no stone unturned to ensure a memorable event.
On September 26, the group left Lagos to Abuja aboard an Ibom Air flight in high spirts. Upon landing at the Abuja International Airport, the group were picked up in buses and a short trip to Almat Farms, Kuje began.
At Almat Farms, we were welcomed by Taiwo Kola-Ogunlade, the Communications and PR manager, Google West Africa, who said the #JustAskMaps activity was specially curated to amplify the various uses of Google apps and how they can assist anyone in finding preferred destinations and communicating without hassles.
The group then proceeded to have a sumptuous lunch, a tour of Almat farm stables, zoo and facilities, before settling for a sip and paint session.
By sunset, the group left Almat Farms for the Sommerset hotel in Maitama, after which we were taken to the upscale ‘Hustle and Bustle’, where twin celebrity chefs Taiwo and Kenny prepared a buffet for us.
As we returned to the hotel, it was clear to all that an adventurous 48 hours was set to be experienced. And that was exactly what happened!
Early the next morning on Friday, September 27, the tour began! We were split into five groups and given specific codes to decipher using the various Google apps.
Our first port of call was Waffle Way in Maitama, where, using Google maps, we all had breakfast. The next clue was a plus code which using Google’s Gemini, led us to Eli and Lulu cafe, one of the city’s most prestigious breakfast spot. From there another code led us to the famous Abuja Suya Market in Wuse 1 where using Google translate, I was able to ‘speak’ Hausa fluently to negotiate a bargain, after which we went to the Discovery Museum.
The next code was a bit difficult, but with google search and lens, we were able to navigate our way to Iya Oyo in Wuye, another suburb in Abuja, where we were treated to local Amala with soups like ‘Edo Riro’, ‘Gbegiri’, ‘Ewedu’ among others.
The hunt didn’t end there. A new code instructed us to get to Guava, a drinks bar with a variety of exotic flavors. Another clue was handed to us with directions to Muscade Cafe, where we were treated to specially prepared confectionery and fruit drinks.
The activities were so intense and exciting that we didn’t noticed that time had slipped away, and after discovering seven locations, our hosts announced that it was time to return to our hotel and prepare for dinner.
A few hours later, we were seated at the prestigious Zuma Grill, nested within the iconic Transcorp Hilton Hotel and feasted with tantalizing international dishes and wines. The night ended with a Karaoke session where we all took turns singing along to the music from the in-house pianist.
The group flew back to Lagos on September 28 with nostalgic memories of an unforgettable experience curated by a Google Nigeria, AbujaEats and 1202 events collaboration.
Speaking to the Nigerian Tribune, Taiwo Kola-Ogunlade said that the #JustAskMaps city activation was done in order to facilitate specific on-site usage of Google tools to tackle daily tasks with guaranteed success.
He said, “We wanted to see how people can interact with our technology to solve daily tasks/problems. We have developed various interactive tools like Gemini, Lens, Translate, Maps etc to make people’s life easier and it was interesting to see how our influencers used these apps to discover Abuja. We specifically picked places that many visiting Abuja may not ordinarily visit. However, our tools can easily assist people in real time to locate most of the fun spots without any problem. It’s as easy as asking Google search for any place you want to visit near you, while maps will take you there. Using Lems or Gemini, you can know more about what your menu, or any other information you require”.
Read Also: Lagos govt signs MoU for transfer of Epe General Hospital to FG
