Education/News/March 2026/Seeds of Knowledge: A Wiki Project that Sparked a Community at ADUN
Seeds of Knowledge: A Wiki Project that Sparked a Community at ADUN
Sometimes, the real impact of a project only becomes clear after it ends.
In May 2025, six lecturers across Nigeria were selected for the Wiki-in-School programme, implemented by Wikimedia User Group Nigeria for the Wikimedia Foundation. After an intensive, fully sponsored training in Lagos, one of those lecturers – Sylvester Ebhonu who happens to also be a Librarian, returned to Admiralty University of Nigeria (ADUN) carrying more than new skills. There was a commitment to achieve the goal of introducing students and the university community to Wikipedia. Just like other participants in the project he had a target of raising not just Wikipedia users, but contributors.
A small, curious group comprising students, a few staff members, and corps members answered the call and gathered for both physical and online sessions over the course of one month. Together, they explored Wikipedia, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons, and other Wikimedia projects, learning the foundations of editing, referencing, licensing, and the quiet but powerful principles behind how knowledge is built and shared openly with the world.
Participants expressed great enthusiasm and appreciation.
By the close of the programme, the group had made over 500 edits, uploaded dozens of media files, and contributed content that has since been viewed more than one million times. They strengthened ADUN's institutional presence online by updating existing pages and creating Wikidata entries for academic staff. For most participants, it was their very first experience with Wikipedia contribution, yet at the end, the institution had earned recognition as a top contributor in the project. It was a remarkable outcome for a community just finding its footing.
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But the story did not stop there.
Weeks after the formal programme ended, some students indicated interest that they wanted to keep going. Encouraged by the lecturer/facilitator and supported by the University Librarian, they applied to establish a Wiki Fan Club within the university. With approval from the Vice Chancellor, the ADUN Wiki Fan Club was born and gradually evolving from a training cohort into a small but remarkably active community.
Since then, members have continued contributing, refining their skills, and growing in confidence in ways that reach far beyond any classroom assignment. That growth was formally acknowledged when the club was selected by Wikimedia User Group Nigeria, and it’s the Club President travelled on a fully sponsored trip to Lagos to represent ADUN at the 2026 Community Leaders Retreat. It was a moment that visibly brought a shift. Students who had once seen themselves as learners began to see themselves as leaders and builders of knowledge.
Looking back, the Wiki in Schools programme was designed with a timeline. It did exactly what it was meant to do within three months. What nobody anticipated was that it would plant a seed resilient enough to grow on its own.
And perhaps that is where the real story begins.