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Advancing Wikimedia in Jos Through a Follow-up to Our Previous Initiative

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This project was implemented as a continuation of earlier efforts to promote Wikimedia projects in Jos, Nigeria. It focused on increasing awareness, building editing skills, and creating locally relevant content, especially in the Hausa language and on topics related to human rights, health, and the environment.

Objectives

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  • Engage the Hausa-speaking community in creating and improving content on human rights, health, and environmental topics.
  • Provide hands-on Wikimedia training for new contributors.
  • Increase participation from women and youth.
  • Document cultural and environmental heritage through photography and Wikimedia Commons uploads.
  • Strengthen Wikimedia awareness through direct community engagement.

Activities Implemented

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  • Three-Day Wiki Tour in Jos: Visited multiple locations, met with community members, promoted Wikimedia, and took photographs for Commons.
  • One-Day Online Training: Provided virtual orientation on Wikipedia editing, Commons uploads, and Wikidata.
  • In-Person Training Workshop: Delivered hands-on editing training, photo uploads, and Wikidata skills.
  • Follow-Up Online Meeting: Continued engagement, answered questions, and supported ongoing contributions.

Learnings

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  • Mixing in-person outreach (Wiki Tour) with online follow-ups builds trust and sustains participation.
  • Hands-on training is more effective than presentations alone.
  • Regular follow-up through WhatsApp and online meetings keeps new editors active.
  • Involving topic experts improves article quality.
  • Targeted outreach to women and youth increases diversity.

Unexpected Outcomes

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While cultural diversity among participants enriched the project, the team faced a delay on the first day when they could not access the University of Jos due to security restrictions. Entry was granted the following day after formal clearance. This taught the team flexibility and the importance of preparing permissions in advance.

Plans for Sharing Learnings

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We will:

  • Document this project on Meta-Wiki (this page).
  • Share results at Wikimedia community meetings and events such as Wiki Indaba and WikiConference Nigeria.
  • Use social media to reach wider audiences.
  • Upload all photographs to Wikimedia Commons.
  • Engage with women’s groups, youth organizations, and local institutions for future collaborations.
  • Organize peer-learning sessions with other Wikimedia communities.
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