Grants:Programs/Wikimedia Community Fund/Rapid Fund/Advancing Nigeria’s Cultural Heritage Preservation (ANCHoR) (ID: 23546631)
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Applicant Details
[edit]- Main Wikimedia username. (required)
Albakry028
- Organization
N/A
- If you are a group or organization leader, board member, president, executive director, or staff member at any Wikimedia group, affiliate, or Wikimedia Foundation, you are required to self-identify and present all roles. (required)
N/A
- Describe all relevant roles with the name of the group or organization and description of the role. (required)
Main Proposal
[edit]- 1. Please state the title of your proposal. This will also be the Meta-Wiki page title.
Advancing Nigeria’s Cultural Heritage Preservation (ANCHoR)
- 2. and 3. Proposed start and end dates for the proposal.
2025-11-24 - 2025-12-24
- 4. Where will this proposal be implemented? (required)
Nigeria
- 5. Are your activities part of a Wikimedia movement campaign, project, or event? If so, please select the relevant project or campaign. (required)
Other (please specify) Training Wikimedia editors and promoting the documentation of Nigeria’s diverse cultural heritage, while bridging existing content gaps on Wikimedia platforms including Wikipedia, Wikidata, and Wikimedia Common
- 6. What is the change you are trying to bring? What are the main challenges or problems you are trying to solve? Describe this change or challenges, as well as main approaches to achieve it. (required)
Nigeria, as a multi-ethnic and multi-cultural society, is blessed with a wide range of heritage. Among these, cultural heritage remains one of the most paramount, reflecting the identities, traditions, and values of its diverse ethnic groups. However, close observation in this digital era reveals that while some heritage has been preserved online, little or no attention has been paid to the systematic documentation of both tangible (monuments, sites, artifacts, cultural landscapes, textiles, objects) and intangible (oral traditions, expressions, performing arts, social practices, indigenous knowledge and skills) cultural heritage.
As a graduate of History, I know from research and lived academic experience the urgency of this need. My undergraduate project, which explored the remnants of cultural heritage in Nigeria in the face of extermination, made me realize firsthand the risks of neglect and the pressing importance of digital preservation. Importantly, platforms like Wikimedia (Wikipedia, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons) which provide open access to a global audience( i.e international organization like UNESCO) still have very limited coverage of Nigeria’s cultural heritage. This systemic gap increases the risk of gradual erosion and eventual loss of Nigeria’s cultural legacies if not urgently addressed. ANCHoR therefore builds directly on this realization, seeking to bridge the gap between heritage studies and open digital documentation to ensure Nigeria’s cultural legacies are preserved for future generations.
CHALLENGES ANCHoR SEEKS TO ADDRESS
1. Limited Awareness and Capacity: Many cultural practitioners lack awareness of how to effectively digitize heritage, and only a small number of Nigerian Wikimedia editors focus specifically on cultural heritage preservation.
2. Weak Documentation of Oral Traditions: Oral traditions such as oríkì (eulogy), proverbs, folktales, and indigenous songs are difficult to systematically document, leading to their underrepresentation in open digital sources.
3. Reluctance to Share Knowledge Under Open Licenses: Cultural custodians and communities are often hesitant to release materials under open licenses due to fears of misuse, misrepresentation, or exploitation of traditional knowledge.
4. Systemic Content Gaps on Wikimedia: African cultural heritage remains underrepresented on Wikimedia platforms. This systemic challenge reinforces a global knowledge gap that sidelines Nigeria’s cultural heritage and limits its visibility both locally and globally.
MAIN APPROACHES FOR ANCHoR
1. Engagement and Capacity Building: ANCHoR will recruit and train 50 new editors from universities, youth associations, heritage clubs, and cultural organizations across Nigeria. The training will focus on documenting Nigeria’s cultural heritage on Wikipedia, Wikidata, and Wikimedia Commons. The curriculum will cover digital archival skills where experts in this field will train participants, open knowledge licensing i.e equipping participants with the understanding and practical skills to share Nigeria's cultural heritage on Wikimedia projects, content verification to ensure accuracy, reliability and traceability to credible sources, and culturally sensitive documentation practices. Participants will also engage in field visits to cultural and historical sites for firsthand data collection, equipping them with practical experience in heritage documentation.
2. Community Mobilization and Collaboration: Since cultural knowledge is often preserved by elders, traditional custodians, and local communities, ANCHoR will actively engage these groups through sensitization sessions and community dialogues. The project will not only collect, verify, and respectfully document traditional knowledge but will also liberate cultural custodians from the fear and reluctance that often prevent them from sharing heritage knowledge under open licenses. Many custodians and communities hesitate to release materials due to concerns about misuse, misrepresentation, or exploitation of traditional knowledge.
Through carefully designed dialogues, ANCHoR will demonstrate the importance of preserving heritage digitally and the risks of non-documentation, such as cultural erosion, generational loss of knowledge, and exclusion from global narratives. By building trust, clarifying the protections offered by open knowledge licensing, and ensuring attribution, the project will empower cultural custodians to see digital preservation not as exploitation but as a pathway to recognition, continuity, and global visibility of Nigeria’s heritage. This ensures that their voices are amplified in digital spaces and their legacies preserved for future generations.
3. Content Creation and Gap Reduction: The project will target systemic content gaps by creating and improving Wikimedia articles, Wikidata entries, and multimedia uploads that reflect Nigeria’s rich cultural heritage. This will include monuments, festivals, crafts, performing arts, cultural icons, and indigenous knowledge systems. Progress will be tracked using Wikimedia outreach dashboards and other evaluation tools, ensuring measurable contributions to reducing knowledge inequity.
4. Documentation of Oral Traditions and Intangible Heritage: Working in collaboration with linguists, historians, and cultural custodians, ANCHoR will prioritize documenting oral traditions such as oríkì, proverbs, folktales, songs, and oral histories. These will be compiled, transcribed, and digitized in written, audio, and visual formats for open access on Wikimedia projects. This approach safeguards Nigeria’s intangible heritage, which is at the greatest risk of being lost.
5. Sustainability and Knowledge Accessibility: To ensure continuity, ANCHoR will foster a growing community of Nigerian editors dedicated to cultural heritage preservation. By equipping participants with Wikimedia skills, mentorship opportunities, and peer-to-peer networks, the project will embed sustainability into its design, ensuring that documentation efforts do not end with the project cycle but continue to expand.
By making contributions available on Wikimedia platforms, ANCHoR ensures Nigeria’s cultural heritage remains openly accessible to local communities, researchers, educators, and global audiences, guaranteeing visibility, relevance, and protection for generations to come.
- 7. What are the planned activities? (required) Please provide a list of main activities. You can also add a link to the public page for your project where details about your project can be found. Alternatively, you can upload a timeline document. When the activities include partnerships, include details about your partners and planned partnerships.
The project will run for a duration of one month and will include the following activities to ensure effective execution:
1. Mobilization and Sensitization of Participants: Following the recruitment of 50 participants with a special focus on students of history, anthropology, cultural studies, and related fields to ensure credibility and reliability. These participants will be engaged through sensitization sessions where they will be introduced to the relevance of Wikimedia projects and their role in bridging content gaps on Nigeria’s cultural heritage. Partnerships will be built with associations such as the Students Historical Society of Nigeria and the National Association of History and International Studies to reach young people passionate about cultural preservation.
2. Two-Day In-Person Training Workshop: A two-day, hands-on workshop will be organized to train participants on Wikimedia platforms including Wikipedia, Wiki data, and Wikimedia Commons. These sessions will cover account creation, editing basics, uploading medias, wiki data entry and adhering to documentation and open knowledge standards which will be taken by experienced Wikimedia Editors and Heritage advocates. The first workshop will take place in Week 1, and the second in Week 3 of the project timeline.
3. Field Visit: A day after the first in-person training, participants will embark on a guided field visit to selected cultural and historical sites. This visit will provide an immediate opportunity to apply the knowledge gained during the training, enabling participants to practice hands-on documentation techniques while engaging directly with heritage custodians and communities
4. Online Reinforcement Training Sessions: To consolidate learning and monitor participants progress, two virtual follow-up trainings will be conducted in Week 2 and Week 4. These sessions will provide additional guidance; address challenges participants face in documenting Nigeria’s tangible and intangible heritage and strengthen their skills in contributing to Wikimedia projects.
5. Content Generation: Participants will be engaged in a targeted content creation featuring edit-a-thons and data-a-thons. Both will be focusing on identifying and filling gaps in cultural heritage data including monuments, artifacts, textiles, oral traditions, and performing arts, as well as improving existing articles and creating new ones on cultural heritage topics. This will involve adding citations, categories, Wiki links, info boxes, and uploading relevant media files to Wikimedia Commons.
6. Review and Feedback Session: At the close of the project, a review session will be held to assess participant contributions, address outstanding challenges, and share best practices. Certificates of participation will be distributed, while outstanding contributors will be recognized with certificates of excellence and prizes.
7. Sustainability and Community Building: To ensure continuity, participants will be added to a dedicated WhatsApp group for peer learning, mentorship, and collaboration beyond the project timeline. This will foster a self-sustaining community of editors committed to documenting Nigeria’s cultural heritage digitally.
- 8. Describe your team. Please provide their roles, Wikimedia Usernames and other details. (required) Include more details of the team, including their roles, usernames, Wikimedia group, and whether they are salaried, volunteers, consultants/contractors, etc. Team members involved in the grant application need to be aware of their involvement in the project.
Albakry028 (Project Lead): Albakry028 is an Associate Editor of the WikiJournal of Humanities and an experienced Wikimedia editor with a record of facilitating impactful projects such as Wikimedia Awareness in Ogbomosho, Wiki and Health Articles, AfroHistory: Promoting Nigerian Legends and Heroes where he played an active role in training and facilitating sessions through training of participants on Wikipedia editing and several other Wikimedia projects. Through these initiatives, he has successfully trained over 80 new editors who have made significant contributions to Wikimedia projects.
As an Associate Editor dedicated to editing and reviewing articles in the WikiJournal of Humanities having realized that there is a significant gap in coverage of topics across the humanities disciplines especially Africa topics. This observation has driven my efforts to enhance representation and promote more inclusive content.
He has also held leadership position within the Wikimedia community, notably serving as Special Duties Officer of the Wikimedia Fan Club, University of Ilorin, where he actively supported planning, training, and capacity-building for members. His involvement spans a wide range of Wikimedia projects, including WikiClimateCampusTour 2021, Wikimedia Awareness in Akure, AfroCreative Projects, Arts + Feminism 2023 Campaign, and more, demonstrating his commitment to advancing open knowledge.
Beyond his Wikimedia engagements, Albakry028 is a professional event planner, a teacher, a cultural advocate, writer, and dedicated researcher with a keen interest in heritage knowledge and preservation. He holds a degree in History and International Studies and is a member of the Historical Society of Nigeria.
Taofeeq Abdulkareem (Trainer- Online and Offline): Taofeeq Abdulkareem MHSN is an Associate editor of WikiJournal of Humanities and holds a Bachelor’s degree in History and International Studies from the University of Ilorin. He served as the Vice President Training and Development, Wikimedia Fan Club University of Ilorin, for the 2022/2023 Academic Session. He was the Project Lead for AfroHistory: Promoting Nigerian Legends and Heroes, he was the Project Lead, Wikimedia Awareness in Ogbomosho. He was a Facilitator of Preservation of Owo Cultural Heritage on Wikimedia, he was also a Facilitator of Wiki Loves Health articles in Nigeria 1.0 and 2.0, also a Facilitator for Wikimedia Promotion in Akure, and he was also a Facilitator of Wikimedia promotion in Lead City University.
He is Member of Historical Society of Nigeria, and Nation Builder, reflecting his commitment to building his fatherland which also relates to her heritage and legacies. He is a diplomat-in-building, and nation builder with a profound commitment to humanitarianism and an unwavering pursuit of truth. He thrive on continuous learning and making a positive global impact, most especially through the open source encyclopedia community.
Ayyuha Sideeq (Trainer- Online and Offline): Ayyuha Sideeq is an experience Wikimedia editor and member of the English User Group, recognized for his contributions as the Best Male Contributor of the Year 2024 at the University of Ilorin's Wikimedia Fan Club. He has played pivotal roles in various projects, such as facilitating the Wiki and Health Articles in Nigeria Project and served as Communication Manager for the AfroHistory: Nigerian Legends and Heroes Project. His efforts in Wikimedia Promotion in Ogbomosho earned him the title of highest photo contributor and third top editor.
In addition to these achievements, Ayyuha has excelled in several initiatives, ranking as the second top editor in the Arts and Feminism project at the University of Ilorin. He was also the third top contributor at Wiki Loves Africa Unilorin 2024 and fourth at Feminism and Folklore Ilorin 2024. His involvement extends to events like the Wiki Climate Campus Tour and the celebration of Wikidata's 11th Birthday, showcasing his commitment to promoting Wikimedia awareness and fostering a vibrant community in Nigeria.
Taoheedah Abdulkareem (Trainer- Online and Offline): Taoheedah Abdulkareem is an experienced Wikimedia organiser. She is the project lead of Expanding Coverage of Owo Cultural Heritage on Wikimedia 2.0 currently ongoing. She participated in the Organiser Lab V2. She was the project lead of Preservation of Owo Cultural Heritage on Wikimedia 1.0.
Taoheedah was a participant in the inaugural Africa Growth Pilot Cohort where she received specialised training from senior program officers at the Wikimedia Foundation.
Aside from Wikimedia Projects, She is the Founder of the HealthForAll Initiative For Community Health where she has led several community health campaigns and collaborated with organizations in Uganda, Ghana and Kenya where she demonstrated coordination, planning, and team planning skills in promoting healthy living.
NigerianScribe (Communication and Logistics) is a Wikimedian editor and he holds a Bachelor's degree in History and International Studies. He works as Communication and Social Media Manager. He finds interest in story-telling and knowledge sharing. He his a researcher whose research focus centered around African history. He used to be a member of the Wikimedia Fan Club, University of Ilorin where he took part in numbers of projects contributing his quota to the Wikimedia space at large. Notably among the project he took part are AfroHistory: Promoting Nigerian Legends and Heroes, Wikiclimatecampustour, Arts and Feminism and a host of others.
NigerianScribe who is a member of the Historical Society of Nigeria (HSN) is well abreast with Nigeria History and Heritage. He is well versed with historical development and cultural knowledge sharing. He will help with managing communication and logistics for effective and efficient delivery of the project.
- 9. Who are the target participants and from which community? How will you engage participants before and during the activities? How will you follow up with participants after the activities? (required)
The target participants for the project are individuals passionate about cultural heritage preservation, with a particular focus on Nigeria’s cultural and historical heritage. This includes university students studying History, International Studies, Anthropology, and related fields, as well as individuals from any discipline who have a keen interest in cultural preservation. Also, members of cultural organizations and associations, such as the Students Historical Society of Nigeria and the National Association of History and International Studies, will form a key part of the participant community. By bringing together students, cultural enthusiasts, and organizational members, the project will foster a diverse and vibrant network committed to enriching Nigeria’s cultural representation on Wikimedia platforms.
To ensure effective engagement, participants will be actively involved both before and during the activities. Prior to the main sessions, awareness and mobilization campaigns will be conducted within universities and cultural organizations to encourage participation. Orientation will be provided to prepare participants for the project’s objectives and expectations, especially since many may not have prior experience with Wikimedia platforms. During the project, participants will take part in cultural site visitations, in-person workshops, and online training sessions designed to equip them with the skills to contribute effectively to Wikipedia, Wikidata, and Wikimedia Commons. Real-time support will be offered by facilitators, who will also monitor contributions to prevent vandalism, misinformation, or misuse of Wikimedia policies, thereby ensuring adherence to community standards.
Following the completion of the project, engagement with participants will not end. To sustain interest and activity, participants will be integrated into an active WhatsApp group dedicated to Wikimedia awareness and cultural preservation. This platform will serve as a space for ongoing discussions, continuous support, and the sharing of future opportunities for contribution. Participants will be encouraged to act as advocates for cultural heritage preservation, inspiring others to document both tangible and intangible aspects of Nigeria’s cultural heritage. To further motivate and recognize their efforts, certificates and awards will be presented, celebrating their contributions and reinforcing the campaign’s vision of sustainability and long-term impact.
- 10. Does your project involve work with children or youth? (required)
Yes
- 10.1. Please provide a link to your Youth Safety Policy. (required) If the proposal indicates direct contact with children or youth, you are required to outline compliance with international and local laws for working with children and youth, and provide a youth safety policy aligned with these laws. Read more here.
1. The General friendly space policy for Wikimedia events will be summarized and to be read at the beginning of each event. The event will adhere to the Wikimedia-friendly space policy during the event. The Wikimedia-friendly space policy and UCoC will be distributed to participants before the event starts. The event also promises to be safe and conducive.
2. People of age 14 or younger will not be allowed register for the training since the target participants are youths who are Adults (18 years and above).
3. Mature content such as violent or sexually explicit imagery will not be displayed in public areas of the venue.
4. will make the copies of the youth safety plan available for event attendees.
5. I will ensure the physical events comply with all local laws and regulations that apply to the young attendees.
The Youth Safety Policy can also be found here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ci-_BaRi549Htve4LO6M2sx7GGd0dsh5V32O2wqFbn0/edit
- 11. How did you discuss the idea of your project with your community members and/or any relevant groups? Please describe steps taken and provide links to any on-wiki community discussion(s) about the proposal. (required) You need to inform the community and/or group, discuss the project with them, and involve them in planning this proposal. You also need to align the activities with other projects happening in the planned area of implementation to ensure collaboration within the community.
I have informed the Wikimedia Nigeria User Group through their meta page Below is the link:
- 12. Does your proposal aim to work to bridge any of the content knowledge gaps (Knowledge Inequity)? Select one option that most apply to your work. (required)
Cultural background, ethnicity, religion, racial
- 13. Does your proposal include any of these areas or thematic focus? Select one option that most applies to your work. (required)
Culture, heritage or GLAM
- 14. Will your work focus on involving participants from any underrepresented communities? Select one option that most apply to your work. (required)
Ethnic/racial/religious or cultural background
- 15. In what ways do you think your proposal most contributes to the Movement Strategy 2030 recommendations. Select one that most applies. (required)
Innovate in Free Knowledge
Learning and metrics
[edit]- 17. What do you hope to learn from your work in this project or proposal? (required)
1. Did the project promote the preservation of Nigeria rich cultural heritage?
2. Did the project train new editors to have the required skills to edit Wikimedia projects?
3. Were participants satisfied with the knowledge and skills acquired during the project?
4.How much content was added or improved on Wikimedia platforms ?
5. Did the project significantly address content gaps related to Nigerian cultural heritage?
6. How sustainable is the impact of the project in fostering continued contributions to cultural preservation?
- 18. What are your Wikimedia project targets in numbers (metrics)? (required)
| Other Metrics | Target | Optional description |
|---|---|---|
| Number of participants | 55 | These are the total number of people that will be available for both the online and offline events, including organizers, editors and institution representatives. |
| Number of editors | 50 | These are the total number of editors including returning editors and new editors, that will create new accounts and will be guided on how to effectively and positively contribute to Wikimedia Foundation Projects. |
| Number of organizers | 5 | These are the number of the organizers saddled with organizing and facilitating throughout the projects. This include project lead and other facilitators. |
| Wikimedia project | Number of content created or improved |
|---|---|
| Wikipedia | 50 |
| Wikimedia Commons | 60 |
| Wikidata | 50 |
| Wiktionary | |
| Wikisource | |
| Wikimedia Incubator | |
| Translatewiki | |
| MediaWiki | |
| Wikiquote | |
| Wikivoyage | |
| Wikibooks | |
| Wikiversity | |
| Wikinews | |
| Wikispecies | |
| Wikifunctions or Abstract Wikipedia |
- Optional description for content contributions.
N/A
- 19. Do you have any other project targets in numbers (metrics)? (optional)
No
| Main Open Metrics | Description | Target |
|---|---|---|
| N/A | N/A | N/A |
| N/A | N/A | N/A |
| N/A | N/A | N/A |
| N/A | N/A | N/A |
| N/A | N/A | N/A |
- 20. What tools would you use to measure each metrics? Please refer to the guide for a list of tools. You can also write that you are not sure and need support. (required)
To measure and monitor participants activities and contributions, an outreach dashboard will be created which will serve as means to keep tap with the project metrics such as number of participants, number of articles created and improved, numbers of references/citations added to articles, articles view, etc. The use of hashtag tool will as well be included.
Financial proposal
[edit]- 21. Please upload your budget for this proposal or indicate the link to it. (required)
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/16XoofGzPvDX6lBjTUirwGjkHG06ThLzYru3AzMmn2qA/edit?usp=sharing
- 22. and 22.1. What is the amount you are requesting for this proposal? Please provide the amount in your local currency. (required)
1750000 NGN
- 22.2. Convert the amount requested into USD using the Oanda converter. This is done only to help you assess the USD equivalent of the requested amount. Your request should be between 500 - 5,000 USD.
1139.25 USD
- We/I have read the Application Privacy Statement, WMF Friendly Space Policy and Universal Code of Conduct.
Yes
Endorsements and Feedback
[edit]Please add endorsements and feedback to the grant discussion page only. Endorsements added here will be removed automatically.
Community members are invited to share meaningful feedback on the proposal and include reasons why they endorse the proposal. Consider the following:
- Stating why the proposal is important for the communities involved and why they think the strategies chosen will achieve the results that are expected.
- Highlighting any aspects they think are particularly well developed: for instance, the strategies and activities proposed, the levels of community engagement, outreach to underrepresented groups, addressing knowledge gaps, partnerships, the overall budget and learning and evaluation section of the proposal, etc.
- Highlighting if the proposal focuses on any interesting research, learning or innovation, etc. Also if it builds on learning from past proposals developed by the individual or organization, or other Wikimedia communities.
- Analyzing if the proposal is going to contribute in any way to important developments around specific Wikimedia projects or Movement Strategy.
- Analysing if the proposal is coherent in terms of the objectives, strategies, budget, and expected results (metrics).