Grants:Programs/Wikimedia Community Fund/Rapid Fund/Advancing Nigeria’s Cultural Heritage Preservation through GLAM Partnerships (ANCHoR-GLAM) (ID: 23750085)
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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 through GLAM Partnerships (ANCHoR-GLAM)
- 2. and 3. Proposed start and end dates for the proposal.
2026-04-06 - 2026-05-05
- 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 and sustaining Wikimedia editors, and promoting the documentation of Nigeria’s diverse cultural heritage, while bridging existing content gaps on Wikimedia platforms including 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, known for its plurality of ethnic groups and multiethnic composition, a reality that reflects its deeply diverse and rich cultural heritage. However, witnessing firsthand the growing risks of cultural erosion, neglect, and possible extinction of both tangible and intangible heritage motivated me to take a bold step in leading the initiative Advancing Nigeria’s Cultural Heritage Preservation (ANCHoR) funded under Wikimedia Foundation
This project recorded substantial success in the documentation and digitization of Nigerian cultural heritage across Wikimedia platforms, including Wikipedia, Wikidata, and Wikimedia Commons. The project was primarily implemented in Kwara State, which served as the operational heart of the initiative. During this phase, several culturally significant sites were visited and properly documented, including the Ilorin Emir’s Palace and Dada Pottery, among others. In addition to on-site activities in Kwara State, participants from other parts of Nigeria actively contributed to the project by documenting cultural heritage within their localities. This distributed participation reflected the reality that Nigeria’s cultural diversity is vast, and it is neither realistic nor desirable to attempt to cover the entirety of the country’s heritage within a single project edition.
More details about the project can be found here: https://outreachdashboard.wmflabs.org/courses/Advancing_Nigeria's_Cultural_Heritage_Preservation_-_ANCHoR/Advancing_Nigeria's_Cultural_Heritage_Preservation_-_ANCHoR https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Grants:Programs/Wikimedia_Community_Fund/Rapid_Fund/Advancing_Nigeria’s_Cultural_Heritage_Preservation_(ANCHoR)_(ID:_23546631)/Final_Report
Building on these achievements, ANCHoR-GLAM: Advancing Nigeria’s Cultural Heritage Preservation through GLAM Partnerships presents a strategic evolution of the project with a clear focus on GLAM (Galleries, Libraries, Archives, and Museums) as institutional custodians of cultural memory. This edition will collaborate with selected Nigerian GLAM institutions to document, digitize, and openly share cultural heritage materials on Wikimedia platforms through structured access, training, and content-sharing activities. ANCHoR-GLAM will work directly with Nigerian cultural institutions to ensure heritage materials are preserved and shared in a sustainable, ethical, and community-centered manner.
While the first edition of ANCHoR was primarily implemented in Kwara State, the project revealed a broader, systemic challenge: Nigeria’s cultural heritage especially materials held within formal cultural institutions remains largely undocumented, undigitized, and absent from open knowledge platforms. Artifacts, archival records, museum collections, oral histories, and indigenous knowledge preserved in libraries, archives, and museums are often inaccessible to the public, at risk of deterioration, and excluded from global digital knowledge ecosystems.
ANCHoR-GLAM responds directly to this challenge by shifting the project’s focus from community-led site documentation to institution-based heritage preservation through GLAM engagement. The second edition will focus primarily on Oyo State, Nigeria, due to its high concentration of cultural, archival, and academic institutions that serve as custodians of Nigeria’s cultural memory but remain underrepresented on Wikimedia platforms.
The core change ANCHoR-GLAM introduces is structured collaboration with GLAM institutions to transform offline collections into openly accessible digital knowledge. Through institutional partnerships, guided visitations, and capacity-building activities, the project will support the ethical documentation and digitization of artifacts, relics, archival records, tangible and intangible heritage, and indigenous knowledge, and make them available on Wikidata, and Wikimedia Commons under open licenses. This approach directly advances Wikimedia’s mandate of free knowledge, knowledge equity, and sustained GLAM engagement, while addressing content gaps related to Nigerian and African heritage.
In parallel, ANCHoR-GLAM aligns with UNESCO’s mandate to safeguard cultural heritage, promote access to knowledge, and protect cultural diversity. By empowering Nigerian institutions and contributors to document and digitize their own heritage, the project counters historical patterns of external narrative control and knowledge extraction. As reflected in the African proverb “Until the lion learns to write, every story will glorify the hunter,” ANCHoR-GLAM positions local institutions and communities as the rightful custodians and narrators of their histories.
The proposed GLAM institutions are selected for their strong cultural heritage value and their role in preserving Nigeria’s historical memory. Together, they safeguard archival records, manuscripts, artifacts, and living traditions that reflect Nigeria’s cultural development from early history to the present. Engaging these institutions will support ethical documentation, digitization, and wider access to Nigeria’s cultural heritage through Wikimedia platforms.
The proposed sites include: I. Kenneth Dike Library, University of Ibadan – a leading repository of Nigerian and African historical collections. II. National Archives of Nigeria – Ibadan Branch – custodian of critical archival records documenting Nigeria’s historical and cultural evolution. III. National Museum of Unity, Ibadan – preserving ethnographic artifacts that represent Nigeria’s diverse cultures. IV. Ibadan-Dun Cultural Heritage Living Museum – a living museum safeguarding indigenous knowledge, crafts, and oral traditions.
Through this strategic shift, ANCHoR-GLAM seeks to move from episodic documentation to institutional, sustainable, and scalable cultural heritage preservation, ensuring that Nigeria’s diverse cultural legacy is preserved, accessible, and represented on global open-knowledge platforms.
MAIN APPROACHES FOR ANCHoR- GLAM
1. Community Mobilization and Institutional Collaboration: ANCHoR-GLAM will establish collaborative relationships with GLAM institutions and relevant cultural and student-based organizations. These partnerships will facilitate access to collections, expertise, and spaces for training and documentation, while also fostering trust around open knowledge and ethical documentation.
2. Engagement and Capacity Building: The project will recruit and train 50 new editors from universities, youth associations, heritage clubs, and cultural organizations across Nigeria. Editors from ANCHoR 1.0 will be encouraged to continue contributing, serving as peer mentors and strengthening continuity across project phases.
3. Content Creation and Gap Reduction: Through edit-a-thons, documentation visits, and data-focused activities, participants will create and improve structured cultural heritage data on Wikidata and upload high-quality, openly licensed media to Wikimedia Commons, addressing critical gaps in the documentation and visibility of Nigerian cultural heritage.
4. Sustainability and Knowledge Accessibility: ANCHoR-GLAM will prioritize sustainability by strengthening institutional capacity, encouraging continued participation beyond the project period, and ensuring that cultural heritage knowledge remains openly accessible, reusable, and relevant for education, research, and public engagement.
- 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 be implemented over one month and will follow a phased approach that combines community mobilization, capacity building, hands-on documentation, and sustainability.
1. Community Mobilization and Partnership Engagement: The project will begin with the mobilization of participants through engagement with cultural custodians, student clubs, and relevant organizations, including the National Association of History Students, as well as students of archaeology, history, cultural studies, and related disciplines. At the same time, the project team will initiate institutional collaboration with librarians at the Kenneth Dike Library (University of Ibadan), archivists at the National Archives of Nigeria (Ibadan Branch), officials of the National Museum of Unity, Ibadan, and officials of the Ibadan-Dun Cultural Heritage Living Museum to facilitate access, guidance, and collaboration during the project period.
2. Virtual Project Launch: A virtual launch event will be held at the start of the project to formally introduce participants and institutional partners to the scope, goals, and objectives of the initiative. This session will emphasize the role of participants as custodians of cultural heritage, highlighting the importance of open knowledge, global visibility, and cultural heritage preservation through Wikimedia platforms.
3. Two-Day In-Person Training Workshops: A two-day physical training workshop will be organized with a strong focus on Wikidata and Wikimedia Commons. The training will cover Wikimedia account creation and contribution basics, uploading and describing media on Wikimedia Commons, creating and improving structured data entries on Wikidata, Wikimedia copyright policies, open licensing, and ethical documentation, and the importance of digitization for cultural heritage preservation
4. Two-Day GLAM Field Visits and Documentation: Participants will undertake guided field visits to selected GLAM institutions, including: Kenneth Dike Library (University of Ibadan), National Archives of Nigeria – Ibadan Branch, National Museum of Unity, Ibadan, and Ibadan-Dun Cultural Heritage Living Museum. These visits will provide immediate opportunities for participants to apply skills acquired during the trainings, engage in hands-on documentation, and interact directly with librarians, archivists, and museum professionals while contributing content to Wikimedia platforms.
5. Online Reinforcement and Mentorship Sessions: Following the field activities, online reinforcement sessions will be held to monitor participant progress, provide additional guidance, address challenges encountered during contributions, and further strengthen technical skills related to Wikidata and Wikimedia Commons.
6. Review, Recognition, and Certification: The project will conclude with a review and reflection session to assess outcomes, share lessons learned, and highlight contributions. Certificates of participation will be issued to contributors, and top contributors will be recognized with prizes to encourage continued engagement and long-term participation beyond the project period. In addition, partner GLAM institutions and collaborating organizations will be formally acknowledged and awarded certificates of appreciation in recognition of their partnership, support, and contribution to the successful implementation of the project.
- 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): is an Associate Editor of the WikiJournal of Humanities and a graduate of History and International Studies, with a strong focus on cultural heritage preservation, historical continuity, and GLAM engagement. His undergraduate research, “Colonialism and the Continuity of Ilorin Cultural Heritage, 1900-1960” shaped his scholarly interest in how colonial encounters have influenced the survival, transformation, and documentation of indigenous cultural institutions in Nigeria.
He is a member of the Historical Society of Nigeria and a pioneer fellow of the WikiHeritage Fellowship, selected among the top 2.26% from over 500 applicants nationwide. As an experienced Wikimedia editor and project lead, he led Advancing Nigeria’s Cultural Heritage Preservation (ANCHoR) and has facilitated projects such as Wikimedia Awareness in Ogbomosho and AfroHistory, collectively training over 120 new editors to contribute to Wikimedia platforms.
He has also held leadership role within the Wikimedia Community including Special Duties Officer of the Wikimedia Fan Club, University of Ilorin 2023/24, and has contributed to initiatives such as WikiClimateCampusTour, AfroCreative Projects, and Arts + Feminism, demonstrating sustained dedication to advancing open knowledge and cultural heritage documentation.
Ayyuha Sideeq (Trainer- Online and Offline): Ayyuha Sideeq is an experienced Wikimedia editor and a member of the English Wikipedia User Group. He is a final-year Finance student at the University of Ilorin and an Associate Accounting Technician (ACA in view). He serves as Vice President (Training & Development) of the Wikimedia Fan Club 2025/26, University of Ilorin, where he leads editor training and capacity-building activities.
He has facilitated and supported projects such as the Wiki and Health Articles in Nigeria Project, AfroHistory: Nigerian Legends and Heroes, and Advancing Nigeria’s Cultural Heritage Preservation (ANCHoR). In recognition of his contributions, he received the Best Male Contributor of the Year 2024 award in the University of Ilorin Fan Club and several distinctions across Wikimedia campaigns, including Owo Cultural Heritage 2.0, Wiki Loves Africa Unilorin, and Feminism and Folklore Ilorin. His work reflects a strong commitment to Wikimedia advocacy and community development in Nigeria.
Majbire (Logistic Manager): Majbire is a Wikimedia editor and an active member of the English Wikipedia User Group. He is an Associate Accounting Technician (ACA in view) and a regular contributor to activities of the Wikimedia Fan Club, University of Ilorin, where he has supported and participated in several projects.
His contributions have earned him notable recognition, including Third Top Editor at the 13th Wikidata Celebration at the University of Ilorin Wikimedia Fan Club and Second Position at the Wikipedia @25 physical event organized by the fan club. He also served as an on-site volunteer for Advancing Nigeria’s Cultural Heritage Preservation (ANCHoR) in 2025. His continued engagement demonstrates a strong commitment to open knowledge, community participation, and Wikimedia initiatives in Nigeria.
Galadima001 (Training & Documentation Facilitator): Sideeq Yakub Galadima is a professional Librarian and Information Scientist with Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Library and Information Science. As a practicing librarian, he contributed to the establishment of the Tafa Law Firm Library, ensuring professional standards in information organization, preservation, and access core competencies within the GLAM (Libraries and Archives) sector.
He is the founder of Amir Humanitarian Initiative, an NGO focused on community development and information access, and Al-Manar Islamic Relations, a knowledge-driven platform promoting education and values. Through these initiatives, he has led awareness and documentation programs that strengthen public engagement and responsible information use.
He will be serving as a Training & Documentation Facilitator, supporting participant training on heritage documentation, ethical information handling while reinforcing best practices aligned with library and archival standards.
NigerianScribe (Communication and Social Media Manager): NigerianScribe is a graduate of History and International Studies from the University of Ilorin, with strong research, sourcing, and communication skills. As an undergraduate, he served as a Faculty Ambassador for the Union of Campus Journalists (UCJ) and led academic groups, building experience in coordination and teamwork.
He is active in Wikimedia initiatives and serves as Communication and Logistics Officer for Advancing Nigeria’s Cultural Heritage Preservation (ANCHoR), where he supports participant communication and project coordination. He brings reliability, collaboration, and organizational skills to community-focused projects.
Additionally, each partner institution will designate an Institutional Volunteer (GLAM Liaison) responsible for facilitating access, offering contextual guidance, and supporting coordination activities.
- 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 are cultural heritage enthusiasts, history students and graduates, and individuals with an interest in cultural heritage preservation, with a primary focus on those residing in Oyo State Nigeria, though participation is open to people from other parts of Nigeria. Members of cultural and academic 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.
Participants will be engaged through collaboration with student bodies and cultural organizations, as well as online publicity and community outreach before the project begins. During the project, engagement will take place through in-person training workshops, cultural site visits, and online training sessions, with facilitators providing support and monitoring contributions to ensure adherence to Wikimedia policies.
After the project, participants will be added to an active WhatsApp community dedicated to Wikimedia awareness and cultural heritage preservation. This platform will support continued contributions, peer learning, and the sharing of future opportunities. Participants will also receive certificates and recognition to encourage sustained engagement 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: https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Talk:Wikimedia_User_Group_Nigeria#Advancing_Nigeria's_Cultural_Heritage_Preservation_through_GLAM_Partnerships_(ANCHoR-GLAM)
- 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’s rich cultural heritage? 2. Did the project successfully partner with the proposed GLAM institutions? 3. Did the project train new editors to have the required skills to edit Wikimedia projects? 4. Did the project meaningfully reduce gaps in existing content on Nigerian cultural heritage? 5. How lasting is the project’s impact in encouraging ongoing contributions to cultural heritage preservation?
- 18. What are your Wikimedia project targets in numbers (metrics)? (required)
| Other Metrics | Target | Optional description |
|---|---|---|
| Number of participants | 59 | 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 | 9 | These are the number of the organizers saddled with organizing and facilitating throughout the projects. This include project lead, other facilitators and institutional Volunteer (GLAM Liaisons) |
| Wikimedia project | Number of content created or improved |
|---|---|
| Wikipedia | |
| Wikimedia Commons | 200 |
| Wikidata | 80 |
| 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 track and evaluate participant activities and contributions, an Outreach Dashboard will be set up to monitor key project metrics, including the number of participants, content created or improved, references and citations added. In addition, the Hashtag tool will be used to support contribution tracking and visibility across Wikimedia platforms.
Financial proposal
[edit]- 21. Please upload your budget for this proposal or indicate the link to it. (required)
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1uvcvu8-52XVV0BI9PzTBa62uL_EWdKnpE2iFFWYwFZs/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)
2802000 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.
2016.39 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).