Last night, the crowd-based websites like Revoda, ReclaimNaija and Next did not offer much help in collating the results. Tekedia will like to suggest that all of them collaborate to have more impacts. There are pockets of localized data gathering but they are not enough. If they can share their database, they will do much better in coming election. As we try to emulate the Kenyans and their Ushahidi, we need to remember that they had only one major platform and that was helpful in executing at the scale they did. But in Nigeria last night, we could not do it.
Next crashed revealing the Ushahid engine upon which it was built. That is too bad since we just lost access to the reporting and data it was supposed to provide at this crucial hour and time.
Revoda is reporting the results one by one for polling station. There should be a way to collate and aggregate them. The same applies to ReclaimNaija. Great efforts from all the main three – but we need to work together for more effects especially in the big one, the presidential election.
