Nigeria Supports UN Resolution for Accurate African Maps

Nigeria, alongside 163 other countries, has endorsed a UN resolution titled “Correct the Map: Rebalancing global cartographic representation and promoting equitable representation of the world’s regions, particularly Africa.” This resolution was adopted by the UN General Assembly with 164 votes in favor and one opposing vote from the United States, while six countries abstained. The initiative, backed by the African Union, aims to address the historical inaccuracies in cartographic representations that depict Africa as disproportionately small.

Togo led the negotiations on behalf of the African Group, with Togolese Foreign Minister Robert Dussey emphasizing the significance of maps in shaping perceptions of the world. The resolution advocates for the use of the Equal Earth projection, developed in 2018, which accurately represents the relative sizes of continents.

France has expressed support for the resolution, indicating plans to move away from the traditional Mercator projection in its official maps.