In Nigeria, a flat tyre doesn’t mean a frantic search for the nearest petrol station. Instead, you’re likely to be hunting for a ‘vulcaniser’ – a roadside mechanic specialising in tyre repair.
While essential, these informal services often lack digital visibility, making it difficult for locals and visitors alike to find them.
In comes Obieze Agbo, founder of Remote Gravity, a company based in Lagos, Nigeria, specialising in location data for emerging markets.
Remote Gravity aims to bridge the user-vulcaniser gap. By mapping and digitising these types of informal businesses, the company will be providing crucial data through APIs.
This enables developers to build location-aware apps, train AI models, and improve advertising targeting, ultimately improving access to essential services and boosting local economies.
Imagine a future where a simple Google search for “nearest vulcaniser” in Nigeria yields instant results, ensuring a smooth and efficient journey, even in the most unexpected situations.
Recounting a personal experience, Agbo says:
My wife and I were heading home late at night. Our driver was exiting the parking lot when all of a sudden we heard a gush of air escape from the rear. We all paused and knew something bad had happened. The driver had hit the curb at a weird angle which caused the rear tyre to go flat. My wife and I took it as a sign that we should stay put but the driver felt otherwise and his nonchalant attitude was convincing. So we drove at a slow pace and after a couple turns it was clear he was looking for a vulcaniser. We turned and turned until finally spotting one after about 10-15 minutes of searching. The vulcaniser filled our tyre and we were off to our destination.
Markets like Nigeria are largely informal. That means A LOT of essential services are provided in the informal economy. The problem is very few people know WHERE these services exist which leads to costly inefficiencies and poor decision making.
This is the problem we’re eager to solve at Remote Gravity We’re on a mission to make it easier to know where ALL the places exist in emerging markets – not just the formal ones. And we’re making this data available via APIs so everyone can plugin and use our datasets to do things like build location aware apps, train AI models, and even advertise more effectively.
Who knows, maybe the next time you get a flat tyre in a country like Nigeria, you can just Google “nearest vulcaniser” and be on your way 😉
In 2022, Remote Gravity secured a venture round of $0.12 million from Techstars, highlighting the company’s potential in the tech industry. By enhancing the availability and quality of location data in emerging markets, Obieze Agbo and his team contribute significantly to technological and economic development in these regions.
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