Geographic Information Science as a Paradigm Shift

This paper demonstrates that the advent of GIS has led to situations in the processes of scientific investigation that are indicative of a paradigm shift in both research focus and efforts in the environmental and social sciences, delivery of health facilities and services, and in numerous areas of urban and regional planning. It is argued that the deep involvement of Geographic Information Science and Technology (GIS&T) in various national development activities has also led to a greater understanding of socio-political systems. It is demonstrated that GIS&T possesses the potentials to change how we abstract the world, how we reason about the world, and also how we organize and communicate with one another, thus opening new research frontiers. Furthermore, it is argued that as it is already changing the way people work in advanced countries, it could also change the way we work and interact in Nigeria. While recognizing the yawning gaps in the current level of awareness and usage of GIScience and Technologies in the Nigerian development process, some modest efforts of research addressing the needs of the technology were discussed. Of course, GIS offers geography as a science to develop a new microscope with which to view the world and possibly revive its glory as of the king or queen of the sciences.