Grants:Programs/Wikimedia Community Fund/General Support Fund/Yoruba Wikimedians User Group 2024-2025 annual activities/Final Report
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Part 1: Understanding your work
Per the recent update on the Wikimedia Foundation Affiliates Strategy process, Wikimedia Affiliates that are General Support Fund grantees will fulfill their affiliate reporting requirements through their final or yearly grantee report.
If you are a Wikimedia Affiliate, you will use this form for your affiliate reporting and to address the affiliate health criteria. You do not need to submit a separate report to AffCom. Follow the guidance in the green boxes to report on how you met the corresponding affiliate health criteria.
If you are not a Wikimedia Affiliate, aligning your responses with the affiliate criteria is optional and not required.
1. Please share to what extent your programs, approaches, and strategies contributed to addressing the challenges you shared in your proposal. If they did not contribute as you believed they would, please share what obstacles you faced and what, if anything, you learned from them? (required)
For affiliates, use this space (Question 1.) to address Affiliate Health Criterion 1.1 (Goal delivery). Describe how you actively delivered on mission goals, e.g. content creation.
Extent at which our programs, approaches, and strategies contributed to addressing the challenges we shared in our proposal |
To address the challenges we stated in our proposals, and to ensure that these challenges were addressed to a large extent, we subdivided our activities and strategies into six broad categories and implemented them through some critical actions. These included participation in global campaigns and contests to generate content, capacity-building to enhance the quality of content and increase participation, outreach and advocacy programs, event organization, and conference participation. Other strategies involved effective management of projects by competent and experienced members of our community, ensuring smooth communication flow, collaboration with academic institutions, mission-aligned organizations, and other Wikimedia affiliates.
- GLAM projects
- Yoruba oral traditions
We sustained our work on the Yoruba Oral Tradition Project, and this year, we worked on the "Audiovisuals of Yoruba warlords" to document them. This is part of our continued efforts to promote and document the oral knowledge of the Yoruba culture and preserve it for both historical and educational purposes. In nineteenth-century, Yorubaland was marked by incessant warfare and the widespread use of gunpowder, comparable in scale and intensity to the conflicts that swept across Europe during the same century. Battles raged across the region until 1886 when Sir Gilbert Carter, the British Governor of the Lagos Protectorate, intervened to broker peace. But there is no audiovisual recording of these histories and the relics and other items used in fighting the various wars.
The character and skills of individuals often reflect the times they inhabit. Those who grow up in peace and stability tend to learn how to cultivate and maintain harmony, whereas those shaped by periods of unrest and conflict often master the strategies and skills of warfare. In the midst of the turmoil that engulfed Yoruba nations and communities, prominent leaders emerged, forming formidable armies to defend their territories and expand their influence.
Figures such as Latosisa, Ajayi Ogboriefon, and Ayorinde stood out in Ibadan; Obe, Arimoro, Omole, Odo, Edidi, Fayise, and Ogedengbe Agbogungboro for Ijesa; Karara for Ilorin; Ogundipe for Abeokuta; Ologun for Owo; Bakare for Afa; Ali for Iwo; Oderinde for Olupona; Onafowokan and Kuku for Ijebu Ode; Odu for Ogbagi; Adeyale for Ila; Olugbosun for Oye; and Ogunbulu for Aisegba.
Similarly, the Ado Kingdom had its share of distinguished warlords, including Ogbigboniharan of Idolofin Quarters, Ogunmonakin of Okelaja, Eleyinmi Orogirigbona of Okeyinmi, Falowo of Ogbon Ado, and Aduloju of Edemo Quarters. Among these, Aduloju stood out as the most renowned and influential.
The project began in November 2024, but the shooting began on the 2nd of December 2024. Members of the project team traveled to villages in the southwest of Nigeria to record these audiovisuals. The videos were largely short at Ibadan, Ekiti State, Ogun State, Oyo State, Kwara State and Osun State, and a total of 20 audiovisuals were recorded. Tunde Oladimeji, a notable Nigerian documentary filmmaker, who had been part of the Yoruba oral traditions since it began was commissioned and supported by the audiovisual production team at Yoruba Wikimedians User Group. The recordings were done in Yoruba but with English subtitles.The recordings were not scripted, but rather elicited through structured conversations in which the speakers were encouraged to use different grammatical tenses in Yoruba language and share culturally relevant knowledge of the warloads. We recorded the histories and relics of these warriors including their tombs.
- Yoruba storytelling event
On April 22, 2025, to mark World Creativity and Innovation Day, the Yoruba Wikimedians User Group held the second edition of its annual storytelling event, a vibrant celebration of culture, creativity, and community memory. This year’s event was organized in collaboration with the J.Randle Centre for Yoruba Culture and History, a contemporary heritage hub owns by the Lagos State Goverment. Building on the success of the first edition, which was hosted in partnership with the Tunde Odunlade Arts Gallery in Ibadan (Oyo State), this year’s program expanded both in scale and impact. The J.Randle Centre, renowned for its dedication to preserving and advancing Yorùbá culture and history, proved to be an ideal setting for this gathering of tradition and innovation.
The storytelling event brought together 72 participants, including the 13 storytellers, volunteers, and members of the local community. A total of 15 stories were told and recorded, contributing to the broader Wikimedia movement’s mission to document and preserve local knowledge in oral and multimedia formats. The stories captured spanned traditional folklore, family histories, societal values, and personal reflections, each narrative echoing the richness of Yorùbá oral tradition and the value of community storytelling in sustaining cultural identity.
For more information about the storytelling event, see this Wikimedia Diff: [1]
- Yoruba proverb audio recording
The Yoruba Wikimedians User Group is dedicated to preserving culturally relevant knowledge, including Yoruba proverbs. These proverbs are an important form of oral literature, filled with wisdom and drawn from the experiences of elders.
According to M.O. Olatunji (2012), proverbs exist as "wise sayings," aphorisms, and axioms. They reflect everyday realities and hold deep meanings that require an understanding of oral traditions to fully grasp. Yoruba proverbs can be short or complex, structured as single, double, or multiple clauses.
Members of the Yoruba Wikimedians User Group came together to record Yoruba proverbs. More than 20 community members participated in the recording session, which took place in a mini-studio designed for the project by the Yoruba Wikimedians User Group. The studio setting was equipped with all the necessary gadgets for high-quality production. Before the recording, over 1,000 proverbs had been collected, and 120 were recorded in this first phase. The majority of participants were female members of the Yoruba Wikimedians User Group.
The session lasted over nine hours, with each participant recording at least five proverbs. It was facilitated by the President of the Yoruba Wikimedians User Group, who leveraged his experience as an on-air personality to ensure a smooth and engaging process. Community members were excited to be part of this innovative project.
One participant shared their experience, saying,
I thought the Wikimedia movement was only about writing articles on Wikipedia. I don’t enjoy writing, so I was happy to learn today that there are many meaningful ways to contribute to free knowledge without writing Wikipedia articles.
These recorded proverbs have been uploaded to Wikimedia Commons and will also be donated to academic institutions as teaching resources for students. In the second phase, we plan to record 200 more proverbs to expand this valuable collection.
- Yoruba Indigenous Cuisine 2025 (3rd editions)
Annually, the Yoruba Language Unit of the Department of African Language, Literature, and Communication at Lagos State University organizes a Yoruba Indigenous Cuisine event as part of the students' coursework. We are a partner on this project, as it clearly aligns with our Yoruba Oral Traditions initiatives. This is the third time we are partnering with the institution on this project.
Students were asked to identify at least one Yoruba indigenous food, conduct independent research on the food, including its origin, method of preparation, and nutritional quality or value, and prepare it on the day of the event. Preparation of the various dishes began at 8:00 AM under the supervision of academic staff and was completed by 2:00 PM.
At the conclusion of the cooking exercise, all prepared dishes were presented for evaluation by a panel comprising academic staff and representatives from the Yoruba Wikimedians User Group. Each dish was assessed based on set criteria, and scores were collated to determine the top-performing teams. The three highest-scoring groups were formally announced and awarded prizes provided by our organization. In addition, commemorative plaques and other branded items were presented to celebrate their achievements.
A total of 123 students actively participated in the program, collaboratively preparing 21 indigenous Yoruba dishes. As part of our documentation and knowledge-sharing goals, over 150 high-quality photographs of the dishes and participants were captured and uploaded to Wikimedia Commons.
This project also aligns with the broader objectives of Wiki Loves Africa 2025, particularly under its thematic focus on cultural heritage and cuisine. The images contributed have been officially submitted to the Wiki Loves Africa Photography Contest. However, no local prizes will be distributed for the photos, as all images were taken by photographers engaged by our team specifically for documentation purposes. This is the third editions of the projects, and we are happy to sustain this effort as part of our collaboration with the Department of African Language, Literature, and Communication at Lagos State University.
- Contents generation
Our content generation activities were broadly divided into campaigns, contests, edit-a-thons, and drives. We organised a series of contests and campaigns to create content. These includes Wiki Loves monuments, Wiki Loves Africa, and Wiki Loves Earths organized jointly with other Wikimedians User Group in Nigeria. A series of edit-a-thons were organized at the International Centre for Yoruba Arts and Culture, with a specific focus on Yoruba literary traditions. The edit-a-thons brought together students of Yoruba language and linguistics from the University of Ibadan. During the edit-a-thons, participants used literary materials available at the centre to create and improve Wikipedia articles. The event not only helped in creating new contents and and improving the quality of existing Yoruba Wikipedia content, it also empowered the students, to build capacity on contents creation. Participants includes both undergraduates and post graduates students who are studying Yoruba language at the University of Ibadan.
We sustained the Deoband Yoruba Collaborative Project (also known as DYCP). It is a collaborative project between the Deoband Community Wikimedia and the Yoruba Wikimedians User Group. The project aims to include content related to global Deobandi scholarship on the Yoruba language Wikipedia and "Yoruba-related" content on the Urdu Wikipedia.
Other objectives of the collaboration include, but are not limited to:
- To increase content on small language Wikipedias such as Urdu and the Yoruba Wikipedia.
- To promote international collaborations among Wikimedia affiliates*Increase the quality of existing articles on small-language Wikipedias.
- To engage existing volunteers
- To promote Wikimedia projects in Nigeria and India
- To support the creation, development, growth, and free distribution of Yoruba and Deoband-related educational materials.
The collaboration was originally launched on the 1st of July 2022. The collaboration was covered in the media by The Chenab Times on June 26, 2022.
We also organized an edit-a-thon as part of the global Art+Feminism campaign, focusing on the creation and improvement of content about women in politics on Yoruba Wikipedia. The event took place at La Regia Airport Hotel in Lagos and was attended by active members of our community based in the Lagos area. We were excited to welcome several new participants who were attending a Wikimedia event for the first time. A dedicated introductory session on Wikipedia editing basics was held for them. During this session, the newcomers successfully created their Wikipedia accounts and made their first contributions, marking the beginning of their journey as Wikimedia editors.
- Capacity building
We organised various capacity-building trainings and sessions to help both new and existing members of our community build capacity. These were both online and offline events. These includes but not limited to capacity-building on how to edit Yoruba Wikipedia, contribute to Wikidata and Wikimedia Commons.
For the past four years, we have focused on growing the Yoruba Wikimedians User Group and contributing to Wikimedia Commons. However, we are now encouraging our members to explore additional ways to contribute across the Wikimedia movement. Participants included members of the Yoruba Wikimedians User Group as well as students from various academic institutions. There were sessions that introduced participants to Wikidata, explaining its objectives, community, and how they can contribute. Some of the participants were new editors.
One of the participants shared their experience, stating:
"I have been following the Yoruba Wikimedians User Group for some time through Twitter, and I am thrilled to finally join their event today. I must say, you are doing incredible work. I'm excited to officially become a member today.
There were also series of capacity-building event in various states and academic institutions. We organized capacity building sessions at the Lagos State University, Adekunle Ajasin University, Fountain University and the University of Lagos
- Outreach and awareness
- Donation of audiovisual materials to academic institutions
We sustained our outreach programs and advocacy work and collaborated with several academics to improve the quality of contributions to Wikimedia projects. The donation of our audiovisual works to academic institutions continue to help us bridge the gap between the Wikimedia community and academia. On the 5th of July 2024, the Yoruba Wikimedians User Group and Wikimedia User Group Nigeria jointly donated educational audiovisual materials to Adekunle Ajasin University Akungba (AAUA). This donation is part of the Yoruba Wikimedians User Group’s ongoing efforts to support education through high-quality, freely accessible audiovisual content.
This audiovisual contents were created as part of our Yoruba Oral Traditions initiative. The materials were received on behalf of the university by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academics), Professor Felix Akinwunmi, the Registrar of the University, Mr. Raphael Arajulu, and the Director of Linkages and International Program, Professor Temitope Olumuyiwa. Other notable attendees included the Dean of the Faculty of Arts, Professor Uriel Okunrimeta, and former DVCs, Professor Oluyemisi Adebowale and Professor Francis Oyebade, a renowned phonologist.
We also collaborated with the institutions to train over 500 students during a two-day workshop. As part of this initiative, Yoruba Wiki Fan Club was established within the Department of Linguistics and Languages. The inauguration of the club’s leadership was conducted by Professor Temitope Olumuyiwa, the Head of the Department of Linguistics and Languages, who also serves as the President of the Yoruba Studies Association of Nigeria, the umbrella organization for Yoruba language programs in tertiary institutions across the country. In addition to his academic leadership, Professor Olumuyiwa holds the position of Director of Linkages and International Programs at the university. This further amplify the potential for local and global collaborations through Wikimedia platforms. This donation was covered in national dailies including the Guardian Newspaper and Vanguard newspapers.
See: [2]
- Yoruba party
On July 7, 2024, the Yoruba Wikimedians User Group, in collaboration with Egbe Atelewo, organized an event called the "Yoruba party" at Liberty Stadium, Adamasingba, Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria. The event celebrated the rich cultural heritage of the Yoruba people, and highlighted traditional attire, Yoruba cuisine, social customs, language, and other historical achievements.
With over a hundred attendees, the event featured various activities that offered a deeper understanding of Yoruba traditions. The Yoruba Wikimedians User Group presented on the Wikimedia movement, providing insights into the Yoruba Wikipedia community and encouraging participants to join. Many attendees, hearing about the Yoruba Wikimedians User Group for the first time, expressed interest by sharing their names and WhatsApp numbers to join the community.
The event also served as an opportunity to create an awareness about Wikimedia projects, and document different aspects of Yoruba culture, with photos and media captured and uploaded to Wikimedia Commons.
- Yoruba WikiRadio Program
We sustain our WikiRadio Program as part of our ongoing efforts to promote the readership of the Yoruba Wikipedia. In 2023, Yoruba Wikipedia achieved a remarkable milestone, reaching 25 million views, making it the most-read Nigerian language Wikipedia. The WikiRadio program played a key role in driving this growth, and we are committed to sustaining and surpassing this achievement.
One of the major problems facing the Yoruba Wikipedia is lack of awareness. People are only familiar with the English Wikipedia. They don't know that other language versions of Wikipedia exists. The aim of this project is to promote the Yoruba Wikipedia on a major radio station in Nigeria.
In the past, the WikiRadio show was managed by a small group of community members. However, this year, we expanded the team by recruiting new volunteers through an open call. After a thorough review process, four new members were selected, based on their experience anchoring similar programs on major radio stations. One of the selected participants is veteran journalist Olaniyi Omisope, who currently manages Melody FM in Lagos State.
The Yoruba WikiRadio Program commenced on August 15, 2024, broadcasting on Radio Lagos (107.5 FM). Radio Lagos was selected as the host station this year due to its larger audience reach and better engagement compared to Bond FM that we previously used. The program aims to further promote the Yoruba Wikipedia and increase readership across the Yoruba-speaking community.
This year, the program featured a new team of lead presenters, including:
- Omisope Olaniyi, popularly known as Baba Omi, a veteran broadcaster#Babatunde Popoola#Adesina Adeogun#Mikaeel Sodiq Adesina#Adeniran Adeyemi
The lead presenter was Mikaeel Sodiq, the President of the Yoruba Wikimedians User Group. He is an on-air personality with extensive experince with radio presentations and anchoring.
- Yoruba Wikipedia awareness in Kwara State
On June 21, 2025, the Yoruba Wikimedians User Group organized a Yoruba Wikipedia awareness campaign and training session in Offa, Kwara State, as part of its strategic efforts to promote the visibility and use of Yoruba-language Wikimedia projects, particularly Yoruba Wikipedia, and to grow its community of contributors in culturally significant regions.
Although Kwara State is geographically situated in North-Central Nigeria, it is widely recognized for its Yoruba-speaking majority and its deep-rooted cultural and historical connections to the Yoruba people. It also serves as a bridge between Yoruba and Fulani communities, making it an ideal location for outreach that promotes cross-cultural collaboration and inclusivity within the Wikimedia movement.
The event was organized in collaboration with the Offa Descendants Union (ODU), an influential socio-cultural organization committed to the development and preservation of Offa’s heritage. The training was held at the ODU Headquarters in Offa, offering both symbolic and logistical significance as a venue that represents local pride, unity, and intellectual engagement.
This collaboration with ODU helped us reach a diverse audience, including educators, students, scholars, and local opinion leader, people who are well-positioned to serve as ambassadors for the Yoruba Wikipedia and extend the impact of our community's mission. It also set the stage for future partnerships and expanded presence in other parts of Kwara State and the wider North-Central region.
The session was attended by a diverse group of over 200 participants, including teachers, scholars, secondary school students, and college students. The participants were introduced to the Yoruba Wikipedia, its purpose, and how they can contribute to the growth of free knowledge in the Yoruba language.
The reception was overwhelmingly positive. Many participants expressed excitement about discovering Yoruba Wikipedia for the first time. Several teachers in attendance have since initiated discussions with our team to organize dedicated capacity-building workshops for their students, a promising sign for long-term engagement.
The campaign not only created awareness but also laid the foundation for future collaborations and potential fan clubs within academic institutions in Kwara State.
- Conferences
- WikiConference Nigeria
We collaborated with the Wikimedia User Group Nigeria, Igbo Wikimedians User Group, Hausa Wikimedians User Group, and Tyap Wikimedians User Group to organize the first edition of the Wiki Conference Nigeria. The theme of the conference was "Empowering Knowledge Equity: Building a Stronger Nigerian Wikimedia Community." The conference aimed to achieve several goals, including:
- Building capacity for Nigerian Wikimedians to promote, develop, and strengthen collaboration among Wikimedia users, projects, communities, affiliates, and stakeholders in Nigeria.
- Supporting the sharing of knowledge, experience, and best practices among participants, while providing a space for them to improve their skills, discuss ongoing challenges, and celebrate each other's work.
- Documenting the learnings from various activities, including projects, campaigns, and events carried out by community members over the past four years, for future reference.
- Strategizing for the upcoming years to shape the Wikimedia movement in Nigeria collectively.
Members of our group were part of the Core Organizing Team (COT) and led several subcommittees, including the scholarship committee. We were actively involved in all aspects of the conference organization, from planning to execution. The conference was held in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, and was attended by at least 15 members of the Yoruba Wikimedians User Group. Additionally, we provided full scholarships to eight members of our community who were not awarded scholarships to participate in the event.
During the award night, one of our members were nominated in the "Best Contributors of the Year" category, and Dr. Isaac Olatunde (User:T Cells) who is one of our founding members and an advisor to our group, received the "Distinguished Lifetime Achievement Award" for his contributions to building the Wikimedia movement in Nigeria.
We actively participated in multiple sessions and discussions, including a panel during the conference, and played a key role in ensuring the smooth execution of the event. We sponsored at least two Yoruba language academics to attend the conference as part of our strategy to support our growing communities within their respective institutions.
- Conference of the Yoruba Studies Association of Nigeria
We collaborated with the Yoruba Studies Association of Nigeria (YSAN) to co-host its 2024 Yoruba Studies Association of Nigeria Conference, which took place from October 7–11, 2024, at the Department of Linguistics, African Language, and Communication Arts, Lagos State University. The theme of the conference was "Yoruba Language and AI."
During the event, we delivered a presentation on Wikipedia and AI, highlighting the challenges faced by the Yoruba Wikipedia due to the use of AI for content translation. We discussed the issues surrounding poor translations in the Yoruba language and proposed potential solutions to improve the quality of content. Additionally, we showcased some of our work and emphasized how the Yoruba Studies Association of Nigeria could collaborate with our group, given that we are both mission-aligned organizations working to promote the accessibility of knowledge in Yoruba through digital platforms like Wikipedia.
To engage participants, we produced souvenirs such as shirts, visor caps, jotters, pens, and key holders, all featuring a link to the Yoruba Wikipedia homepage. These souvenirs were distributed to conference attendees to encourage them to explore and contribute to the Yoruba Wikipedia. We also provided refreshments during our sessions and registered new members to join our community.
This collaboration not only raised awareness about the challenges and opportunities for Yoruba Wikipedia but also fostered a stronger connection between academic institutions and our group in advancing Yoruba language knowledge digitally.
This is the first time our group has collaborated with the Yoruba Studies Association of Nigeria (YSAN) to host its annual conference, and they are excited about our partnership. The next edition of the conference will be held in Ilorin, Kwara State, Nigeria, and we have been informed that our organization will be one of the keynote speakers at the event.
The Yoruba Studies Association of Nigeria (YSAN) is an academic organization focused on the study and promotion of the Yoruba language, literature, culture, and related disciplines. It brings together academics, scholars, researchers, educators, and students interested in various aspects of Yoruba studies, including linguistics, history, sociology, and anthropology. Through conferences, workshops, and publications, the association advances the understanding and appreciation of the Yoruba language and its significance in contemporary society. YSAN is also a key stakeholder in the Yoruba Orthography Review Project, with the President of the organization serving as the Chairman of the Yoruba Orthography Review Committee.
- Conference of Yoruba Council Worldwide
On May 1, 2025, the Yoruba Wikimedians User Group participated in the annual conference of the Yoruba Council Worldwide, the apex umbrella organization uniting various affiliate bodies, including the Yoruba Council of Youths Worldwide, Yoruba Council of Women Worldwide, Yoruba Council of Students Worldwide, Yoruba Lawyers Association of Nigeria and Worldwide (also known as Yoruba Council of Lawyers Worldwide), and the Omoluabi School Clubs, among others.
Our participation in the event provided a strategic opportunity to promote the Yoruba Wikipedia and other Wikimedia projects, while also sharing the broader vision of the Wikimedia movement with a diverse and influential audience.
We took this opportunity to distribute custom-branded souvenirs to all participants as part of our outreach strategy, with the belief that these items serve as effective tools for long-term promotion and visibility of Yoruba-language Wikimedia projects.
During the conference, we were invited to speak about the Wikimedia movement, the mission of free knowledge, and the importance of contributing to Yoruba Wikipedia. The session allowed us to engage directly with stakeholders across education, youth development, legal, and cultural sectors.
In recognition of our impactful contributions to promoting free access to knowledge in the Yoruba language, the Yoruba Wikimedians User Group was honored with the prestigious "Omoluabi Award" and a certificate of excellence at the Yoruba Council Worldwide Conference held in Abeokuta, Ogun State, on May 1, 2025.
This award affirms our ongoing commitment to cultural preservation, education, and digital empowerment through Yoruba-language Wikimedia projects, including Yoruba Wikipedia and other sister platforms. It also serves as an acknowledgment of the tireless and often underappreciated efforts of our volunteer contributors, whose dedication continues to expand the reach and richness of free knowledge in the Yoruba language.
We were truly excited and deeply encouraged by this recognition, as it highlights that the invaluable work of our community is gaining the visibility and appreciation it deserves, not only within digital spaces but also among traditional and cultural leadership.
The event was attended by prominent dignitaries and leaders from across Yoruba-speaking states in South West Nigeria and the diaspora, representing various sectors including education, government, traditional institutions, youth development, and legal advocacy.The conference took place in Abeokuta, Ogun State, and was attended by six dedicated members of our community, who represented the group and helped amplify our impact throughout the event.
For detail information, see [3]
- Partnership
In our proposal, we indicated our intention to partner with the J. Randle Centre for Yoruba Culture and History, a contemporary heritage hub owned by the Lagos State Government. At the time the proposal was submitted, we had not yet established contact with the management of the Centre. However, we are pleased to report that we successfully partnered with the Centre for our storytelling event. We look forward to sustaining this partnership through continued collaboration on future projects.We had also planned an event for October with the International Centre for Yoruba Arts and Culture.
- Governance, community growth and sustainability
In other to strenghten our governance, grow and sustain our community, we develop a strategic plan to guide our operations with key objectives. Our guiding framework as stated in the strategic plan defines five top-priority strategic areas that are needed to actualize our vision and achieve our desired outcomes. The five strategic areas are: developing a strong governance structure, building a stronger community of volunteers, increasing content creation and quality, building strategic partnerships, and strengthening community engagement and capacity for community members. We have highlighted specific goals and objectives that describe in detail thefive strategic areas that will enable us to achieve our broader goals.
This strategic plan sets the course for the Yoruba Wikimedians User Group from 2025 to 2028. It reflects our community’s commitment to strengthening our role within the Wikimedia movement and ensuring that the yoruba language and culture are well represented in the global knowledge ecosystem. The plan identifies clear priorities and actionable steps to support our work, grounded in the realities of our community and aligned with our long-term vision. Beginning in July 2025, and we are preparing for implementation with careful attention tocollaboration and inclusiveness. During the third quarter of 2025, we will begin rolling out activities: setting up implementation teams, defining annual work plans, and kickstarting key initiatives. We encourage every community member to engage with this process. Whether through joining thematic groups, offering suggestions, or volunteering to lead specific actions, your involvement will be vital. This plan is not cast in stones, it is designed to grow with us. As the movement evolves and our community gains new insights, we will adapt and adjust accordingly. The road ahead requires collaboration, patience, and sustained effort. But with our shared commitment, we are confident in our ability to deepen the impact of the Yoruba Wikimedians User Group and advance access to free knowledge for all Yoruba speakers.
2. Is there a plan to build on the key successes you had? If yes, please describe the plan and if no, please share the limitations to do so. For instance, did the activities lead to any new priorities, ideas for activities, or goals for the future? (required)
Plans to build on the key successes we had |
Yes, there are plans to build on key successes while also addressing the challenges encountered in the previous implementation of our projects. One notable example is our storytelling event, which was well received by participants and partners alike. To ensure future iterations are even more impactful, we collected detailed feedback from both the storytellers and our partner organization, the J. Randle Centre for Yoruba History and Culture.
The Centre provided helpful suggestions, such as the need for smoother transitions between storytellers, which could be achieved by conducting a full run-through before the main event. They also emphasized the importance of keeping to time during the program and recommended that appreciation should be shown to partners, either through the distribution of branded souvenirs or formal acknowledgments, to encourage sustained collaboration.
The storytellers themselves offered valuable perspectives. A major recommendation was that storytellers should speak exclusively in the Yorùbá language, without translation. While we initially considered adding translations, the storytellers agreed that maintaining the richness of Yorùbá linguistics was more beneficial and culturally appropriate for the event. They also noted the need for broader publicity targeted at potential audience members and not just the storytellers. Other suggestions included improving the sound system and overall audience management, as well as scheduling the event in the afternoon to allow participants to return home before nightfall.
All of this feedback will be used to refine the planning and execution of future storytelling events and ensure continued growth and impact. In addition to improving logistics and content delivery, we also plan to onboard all participants and storytellers into our community. Building on the enthusiasm and success of the event, we intend to organize a training session to equip them with the skills needed to contribute meaningfully to Wikimedia projects.
We recognizes the significant cultural, educational, and linguistic value of Yoruba proverbs as vital expressions of indigenous knowledge and oral tradition. Building on the success of the first recording phase, we are developing a multi-phase strategy to preserve, promote, and maximize the impact of this project.Following the successful recording of 120 proverbs in the first phase, the second phase will focus on recording an additional 200 proverbs. This will involve collecting more proverbs from elders, scholars, and native speakers across diverse Yoruba-speaking communities to ensure linguistic richness and regional representation.
The sucesses of the Yoruba proverb recording as led to the following new priorities, and ideas;
- Diversify contributors and voices - To further ensure inclusivity and authenticity, we will invite a broader range of participants, including traditional leaders, language experts, students, and elders from rural communities to participate in future recordings. This will help capture different dialects, pronunciations, and storytelling styles within the Yoruba language.
- Partnership with academic institutions - We will strengthen our collaboration with universities, colleges, and departments of African languages and linguistics to use the recorded proverbs as educational materials. These institutions can help transcribe, translate, and contextualize the proverbs for academic use, expanding their relevance in research and classroom settings.
- Launching a Yoruba proverbs portal on Wikimedia - To improve accessibility and encourage wider use, we will create a dedicated category or portal on Wikimedia Commons where users can easily search, browse, and download Yoruba proverbs in both audio and written formats. Each recording will be accompanied by a written translation, explanation, and cultural context.
- Promoting community participation and capacity building - We will continue to train and empower community members to collect, record, and upload proverbs. Specific workshops will be organized to teach participants how to use recording tools, upload to Wikimedia Commons, and add metadata such as meanings, usage, and context.
- Showcasing through outreach and media - We will publicize the project via social media, national radio, and at cultural events to increase public awareness. Selected proverbs will also be featured in short videos or animations shared across Wikimedia platforms and partner channels.
- Monitoring, evaluation, and documenting impact - We will implement a monitoring framework to evaluate the reach and usage of the proverbs across platforms. This includes tracking downloads, uses in education, and community engagement. Insights will inform continuous improvement.
3. Please provide a link to reports that detail the activities that took place in the last year. This can include an annual report, Meta pages, and websites. If there are no links available, briefly describe the implemented activities and programs below or upload any files. (required)
For affiliates, use this space (Question 3.) to address Affiliate Health Criteria 2.1 (Affiliate health & resilience), 4.1 (Internal engagement), 4.2 (Community connection), and 4.3 (Partnerships and collaboration):
- Describe your activities engaging new users, new members for your decision-making body(ies), and developing leaders and organizers (2.1).
- Describe your activities creating or hosting spaces to encourage greater collaboration and engagement among your members (4.1).
- Describe how you engage with the contributing community that you serve and/or support (4.2).
- Describe your partnerships with other affiliates or with non-Wikimedia entities (4.3).
Links to reports that detail the activities that took place in the last year. |
Here are reports, newspaper articles, Diff that detail the activities that took place in the last year.
4. Are you interested in sharing what you achieved or learned this year with the wider community through different peer learning programs (e.g. Let's Connect program, Diff)? (optional)
Interests in sharing what we achieved or learned with the wider community through different peer learning programs |
Yes, we are enthusiastic about sharing our achievements and lessons learned over the past year with the broader Wikimedia community through various peer learning platforms including the Let’s Connect program and Wikimedia Diff. We have already shared some of our experiences through a [[10] blog post published] on Wikimedia Diff.
5. Did you collect feedback from your community or target groups on how the activities implemented impacted them? If yes, please attach/provide information on the results (e.g. community surveys, stories, impact booklets/reports, interviews with partner institutions, etc). Did you collect other impact-specific data? (required)
For affiliates, the response to Question 5. also partially addresses Affiliate Health Criteria 4.1 (Internal Engagement), 4.2 (Community Connection), or 4.3 (Partnerships & collaboration), where applicable.
Feedback collected from our community or target groups on how the activities implemented impacted them |
Yes, see the published evaluation reports - [11]
There are also various surveys conducted
Accessibilty to the survey may be granted to WMF staff on request.
6. During the fund period, did your efforts do any of the following? (required):
For affiliates, the response to Question 6. also partially addresses Affiliate Health Criterion 2.2 (Diversity balance).
- 6.1 Bring in participants from the following groups: women, indigenous groups , LGBTQ+ groups, people from lower socioeconomic status, young people, speakers of minority languages, underrepresented geographical regions (ESEAP, LATAM, SSA, MENA, SA)
- 6.2 Develop content about the following underrepresented topics or groups of people: women, indigenous groups, speakers of minority languages
- 6.3 Support the retention of: Editors, Organizers, Partnerships
7. What, if any, effective tactics or approaches can you share that worked well when dealing with the programs under points 6.1-6.3 that you selected? (optional)
Strategies or approaches that were effective in achieving our goals |
Yes, we would like to highlight several strategies, tactics and approaches that have proven effective in achieving our goals. These include the following:
- We'd like to emphasize that the general support grant from the Wikimedia Foundation (WMF) has continued to work well for our group. Members of our group did not apply for a rapid grant because we already had an approved general support grant, and they were happy to collaborate with the user group rather than applying for a rapid grant for individual projects
- Collaborations with other established user groups locally (Wikimedia Nigeria, and internationally (Deoband Wikimedia Community)
- Partnership with the J.Randle Centre for Yoruba History and Culture worked well for our group and this partnership has resulted in the implementation of the 2nd editions of the Yoruba Storytelling events
- The donation of our Yoruba Indigenous Vocation (Oral Knowledge) audiovisual recordings to academic institutions helped us to connect with academic institutions and helped to increase the number of contributors to the Yoruba Wikipedia and other Wikimedia projects. Last year, the donation of the materials resulted in the establishment of the Adekunle Ajasin University Yoruba Wikimedia Fan Club
- Teamwork, effective participation of members of our community, and communication flows were all effective in achieving our goals.
- The design of training materials for our members is a strategy that has helped them learn how to better contribute to the Yoruba Wikipedia.For detailed, please see : [16]
8. If you developed partnerships, which of the following factors most helped you to build partnerships? Please pick a MAXIMUM of the three most relevant factors (optional):
Permanent staff outreach, Volunteers from our communities, Partners proactive interest
Part 2: Metrics
| Metrics name | Target | Result | Comments and tools used |
|---|---|---|---|
| Number of all participants | 1000 | 3100 | https://eventmetrics.wmcloud.org/programs/1155
https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Yoruba_Wikimedians_User_Group_2024-2025_annual_activities |
| Number of all editors | 700 | 1484 | https://eventmetrics.wmcloud.org/programs/1155
https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Yoruba_Wikimedians_User_Group_2024-2025_annual_activities |
| Number of new editors | 300 | 395 | |
| Number of retained editors | 50 | 150 | |
| Number of all organizers | 50 | 82 | https://eventmetrics.wmcloud.org/programs/1155
https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Yoruba_Wikimedians_User_Group_2024-2025_annual_activities |
| Number of new organizers | 20 | 50 |
| Wikimedia project | Target - Number of created pages | Target - Number of improved pages | Result - Number of created pages | Result - Number of improved pages |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wikipedia | 1500 | 2000 | 1730 | 17235 |
| Wikimedia Commons | 8000 | 500 | 6272 | 984 |
| Wikidata | 1000 | 500 | 2298 | 23189 |
| Wiktionary | ||||
| Wikisource | ||||
| Wikimedia Incubator | ||||
| Translatewiki | ||||
| MediaWiki | ||||
| Wikiquote | ||||
| Wikivoyage | ||||
| Wikibooks | ||||
| Wikiversity | ||||
| Wikinews | ||||
| Wikispecies | ||||
| Wikifunctions or Abstract Wikipedia |
Tool used and comments (optional):
https://eventmetrics.wmcloud.org/programs/1155
https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Yoruba_Wikimedians_User_Group_2024-2025_annual_activities
11. Did you set other quantitative and qualitative targets for your project (other metrics)? (required): No
11.1. Other Metrics.
In your application, you outlined some other open metrics that you would like to measure. Please fill out the achieved results for each of the open metrics you defined.
| Other Metrics name | Metrics Description | Target | Result | Tools and comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Part 3: Skill Development / Capacity Building
12. Reflecting on your programmatic (external) and organizational (internal) work, did your grant support you to undergo any skill development that made a difference to your success? If yes, what skill was developed, and how did it lead to success? (e.g. received coaching on public speaking, attended training on nonviolent communication, hosted professional development conversations on leadership, learned and used a new tool for project management, etc.)? Can you share any materials? (required)
For affiliates, use this space (Question 12.) to address Affiliate Health Criteria 2.2 (Diversity balance) and 3.1 (Diverse, Skilled, and Accountable Leadership):
- Describe actions taken to prioritize gender balance in affiliate leadership, as well as any areas of diversity relevant to your affiliate's context (2.2).
- Describe the management, financial, or other leadership skills of your affiliate leaders. If you have a succession plan, please include it here (3.1).
- Describe any training or skill development (as outlined in the question above) (3.1).
- Incorporate into the annual report a disclosure of conflict of interests (if any) from the leadership (3.1).
Our community is striving toward gender balance, and the majority of our members are female. Some of the women who are interested in taking up leadership roles and facilitating events are being mentored. They now facilitate most of our in-person activities. We are helping them build capacity in public speaking and training facilitation, as evidenced here: [17] and [18]
We have also developed a strategic plan that prioritizes leadership development and strengthens our governance structure. According to the strategic plan, women will be prioritized in our governance structure – [19]
Building capacity for female members of our community to lead events and training sessions has made a significant difference to our success.
13. What is one capacity/skill area that you would like to focus on for the next year? And how do you plan to achieve this capacity? (required)
We would like to build our capacity in volunteer retention, and we plan to achieve this by learning from other Wikimedia communities. As part of this effort, we will invite program directors from well-established Wikimedia affiliates to share their strategies for retaining volunteers. Additionally, we will encourage some of our members to attend conferences and participate in various group discussions, both within and beyond the Wikimedia movement.
14. If you have additional information or reflections that don’t fit into the above sections, please write them here. Use the space below to upload any additional documents that would be useful to understand your report.
For affiliates, also use this section (Question 14) to fulfill the Affiliate Health Criteria requirements.
- Describe and link to any public-facing documentation for affiliate governance, including affiliate leadership and membership with a breakdown of the demographics; how elections are conducted; how conflicts of interest are declared; and how decisions are made and communicated (2.2, 2.3, 3.1).
- Describe and link to any public-facing documentation for activities incorporating, promoting awareness about, or enforcing the Universal Code of Conduct in your affiliate's activities (3.3).
- Describe and link to any public-facing documentation for internal membership engagement, such as notes from your regular meetings and how you communicate to or involve your membership (4.1).
[20]https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Yoruba_Wikimedians_User_Group/Friendly_Space_Policy
[21]
Part 4: Financial reporting
For affiliates, also use this section (Part 4: Financial reporting) to address Affiliate Health Criterion 3.2 (Financial & Legal Compliance).
| Description | Planned / received budget for this category (USD) | Amount spent (USD) |
|---|---|---|
| Personnel costs | 46398017 | 5387.21 |
| Operational costs | 4764870 | 1795.6 |
| Programmatic costs | 57830862 | 52828.28 |
| Total General Support Fund | 60000 | 60000 |
| Other revenue | ||
| Remaining funds from General Support Fund | N/A |
15. Please state the total amount spent from this fund in your local currency. (required)
60000 USD
16. Please provide an overview of the amount spent from this fund in the following budget categories in your local currency. (required)
- Operational costs: 1795.6 USD
- Programmatic costs: 52828.28 USD
- Staff and contractor costs: 5387.21 USD
17. Did you have any other revenue sources (e.g. other funding, membership contributions, donations)? (required): No
- 17.1. Provide the total amount received from other revenue sources in your local currency. (required): USD
- 17.2. Provide the total amount spent from other revenue sources in your local currency. (required): USD
18. Provide a financial report document which will provide the details of funds received and spent in the currency of your fund. (required)
- Upload Documents, Templates, and Files.
- Report funds received and spent, if template not used.
18.2. If you have not already done so in your financial spending report, provide information on changes in the budget in relation to your original proposal. (optional)
N/A
19. Do you have any unspent funds from this funding?: No
20. Final confirmations (required)
- 20.1. Are you in compliance with the terms outlined in the fund agreement? You must be in compliance with relevant tax laws and regulations restricting the use of the Funds as outlined in the grant agreement. In summary, this is to confirm that the funds were used in alignment with the Wikimedia Foundation mission and for charitable/nonprofit/educational purposes.
- Yes
- 20.2. Are you in compliance with all applicable laws and regulations as outlined in the grant agreement?
- Yes
- 20.3. Are you in compliance with provisions of the United States Internal Revenue Code (“Code”), and with relevant tax laws and regulations restricting the use of the Funds as outlined in the grant agreement? In summary, this is to confirm that the funds were used in alignment with the WMF mission and for charitable/nonprofit/educational purposes.
- Yes
This is an automatically generated Meta-Wiki page. The page was copied from Fluxx, the web service of Wikimedia Foundation Funds, where the user has submitted their report. Please do not make any changes to this page because all changes will be removed after the next update. Use the discussion page for your feedback. The page was created by CR-FluxxBot.