Grants:Programs/Wikimedia Community Fund/Rapid Fund/Celebrating Northern Nigeria Rites and Rituals through Wiki Loves Africa 2026 Campaign (ID: 23642150)
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 application. 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.
Applicant Details
[edit]- Main Wikimedia username. (required)
Ishaku Ajeje
- 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.
Celebrating Northern Nigeria Rites and Rituals through Wiki Loves Africa 2026 Campaign
- 2. and 3. Proposed start and end dates for the proposal.
2026-03-01 - 2026-04-30
- 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)
Wiki Loves Africa
- 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)
Building on the success of our https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Grants:Programs/Wikimedia_Community_Fund/Rapid_Fund/Wiki_Love_Africa_2025:Celebrating_our_Agricultural_Practice_in_Northern_Nigeria_(ID:_22884612). This year’s Edition of Celebrating Northern Nigeria Rites and Rituals through Wiki Loves Africa 2026 Campaign seeks to document, preserve, and showcase the rich cultural practices, ceremonial traditions, and indigenous belief systems of Northern Nigeria through open knowledge platforms. Rooted in the theme of the Wiki Loves Africa 2026 campaign, this initiative aims to use photography, videography, and storytelling to highlight the diverse rites and rituals that define communal identity, spirituality, and heritage across the region. From traditional naming ceremonies, harvest festivals, and marriage customs to unique initiation and coronation rituals, the project will invite participants from across Northern Nigeria especially photographers, cultural custodians, and Wikimedia volunteers to capture and share these living traditions on Wikimedia Commons. It will also serve as both a celebration and a digital preservation effort, ensuring that younger generations and global audiences can access authentic visual narratives of Northern Nigeria’s cultural wealth.
We will also organize a workshops and edit-a-thons to train participants on digital documentation, creatives Commons licensing, and cultural sensitivity in visual storytelling. The outcomes will include curated multimedia galleries on Wikimedia Commons, improved articles on Wikipedia and strengthened collaboration among local Wikimedia communities. By spotlighting Northern Nigeria’s rites and rituals, the campaign will contribute to cultural revitalization, heritage sustainability, and inclusive representation within the global Wikimedia movement. Ultimately, it will bridge the gap between tradition and technology to turn local stories into open and shareable knowledge for all.
- 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.
Project Activities
1. Virtual Launch and Training Series (February–March 2026): A series of online webinars will be conducted to introduce the Celebrating Northern Nigeria Rites and Rituals through Wiki Loves Africa 2026 Campaign. This sessions will highlight the contest’s objectives, theme (Rites and Rituals), participation rules, and expected outcomes. Participants will receive training on photography and videography techniques, ethical documentation of cultural and spiritual practices, and practical guides on uploading content to Wikimedia Commons.
Objectives: To build participants’ technical and ethical capacity and ensure broad awareness across Northern Nigeria prior to the contest launch.
Expected Outcome: At least 100 participants from diverse northern communities will gain the necessary skills to ethically and effectively contribute visual documentation to Wikimedia Commons.
2. Hybrid Edit-a-thons and Upload Support Hubs (March–April 2026): Physical edit-a-thons will be organized in three strategic Northern Nigerian cities to provide practical, hands-on support for content uploads. Concurrently, virtual upload and editing support will be maintained through WhatsApp and Telegram group allowing participants to receive real-time assistance and mentorship.
Objective: To provide both in-person and virtual support to ensure equitable participation and to help contributors successfully upload quality media files.
Expected Outcome: Over 300 photographs and videos will be uploaded to Wikimedia Commons, with a minimum of 30% contributed by first-time participants.
4. Post-Contest Review and Impact Showcase (May 2026): A panel of experienced photographers, Wikimedia contributors, and cultural experts will evaluate all submissions based on cultural relevance, technical quality, and storytelling value. An online award ceremony will be held to announce winners and celebrate participants. The best entries will be featured in a dedicated digital gallery on the campaign’s Wikimedia Commons page and shared through Wikimedia and partner platforms.
Objective: To recognize outstanding contributions, motivate sustained engagement, and demonstrate the campaign’s cultural and educational impact.
Expected Outcome: A curated gallery showcasing the top 50 submissions; increased visibility of Northern Nigerian cultural heritage and strengthened community of local Wikimedia contributors.
- 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.
Ishaku Ajeje (Project Lead)
Responsibility: He will be the project coordinator and he will lead all the activities related to the project and team coordination.
Fulani215 (Co- organizer)
Responsibility: Fulani215 will help to mobilize young people around the project and in organizing the Project plan activities
Mamman AA (Communications and outreach officer)
Responsibility: He will serve the roles of communications/outreach and welfare activities in the project.
Mr. Snatch (Logistic and Dashboard Management)
Responsibility: He will play the roles of logistics and dashboard management during the projects.
Two other experienced photographers will also be invited as facilitators to give their helping hands in this project especially during the selection of best images to be awarded the prizes.
- 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)
Target Participants and Engagement Strategy
Our target participants are photography enthusiasts, cultural documentarians, new and existing Wikimedians across Northern Nigeria. While the contest is open to the general public within the region, special attention will be given to participants interested in capturing and preserving the unique rites, rituals, and traditional practices of Northern Nigeria. To ensure effective engagement and sustained participation, we will create a dedicated WhatsApp group for continuous communication, guidance, and follow-up throughout the campaign and newly trained editors will be paired with experienced Wikimedians who will serve as mentors, providing personalized support and helping them navigate the processes of content creation, uploading, and proper attribution on Wikimedia Commons. This mentorship structure aims to build participants’ capacity, strengthen community bonds, and ensure the long-term sustainability of cultural documentation efforts in the region.
- 10. Does your project involve work with children or youth? (required)
No
- 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.
N/A
- 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.
As community we discussed about our participation in this edition of Wiki Love Africa 2025 during our monthly meetups with our members and they all give their endorsement considering the last year achievement we record. We keep our strong connection with Facilitator of Wiki Love Africa WLA (ogahilary) for support and guidance to help us achieved our target.
- 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)
Increase the Sustainability of Our Movement
Learning and metrics
[edit]- 17. What do you hope to learn from your work in this project or proposal? (required)
- How would your participation in WLA make our community members feel engaged and become attached to the Wikimedia movement?
- How did you feel being part of the WLA? What was your experience like meeting other community members?
- What do you hope to learn from this project?
- How do you think this Photo walk can bring a sense of urgency to increase the cultural documentations in the Northern Nigeria?
- Do you think partnership and stakeholder engagement will help us achieve this aim?
- During next year's contest will you be part of this movement again?
- How possible is it that you will tell others about WLA?
- 18. What are your Wikimedia project targets in numbers (metrics)? (required)
| Other Metrics | Target | Optional description |
|---|---|---|
| Number of participants | 60 | |
| Number of editors | 50 | |
| Number of organizers | 4 |
| Wikimedia project | Number of content created or improved |
|---|---|
| Wikipedia | 100 |
| Wikimedia Commons | 500 |
| Wikidata | |
| 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)
Wikimedia Outreach Dashboard, and Wikiloves Tool Forge
Financial proposal
[edit]- 21. Please upload your budget for this proposal or indicate the link to it. (required)
- 22. and 22.1. What is the amount you are requesting for this proposal? Please provide the amount in your local currency. (required)
4030000 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.
2758.77 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).