Grants:Programs/Wikimedia Community Fund/Rapid Fund/FESPACO Wikipedia edit-a-thon powered by AfroCreatives WikiProject for Wikimedians in South-South Nigeria (ID: 22025988)/Final Report
Report Status: Under review
Due date: 30 April 2023
Funding program: Rapid Fund, Wikimedia Community Fund
Report type: Final
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[edit]- Title of Proposal: FESPACO Wikipedia edit-a-thon powered by AfroCreatives WikiProject for Wikimedians in South-South Nigeria
- Username of Applicant: SuperSwift
- Name of Organization: N/A
- Amount awarded: 3000
- Amount spent: 1267 USD, 1647100 NGN
Part 1 Understanding your work
[edit]1. Briefly describe how your proposed activities and strategies were implemented
The original plan of the project was to focus on FESPACO movie festival; but due to challenges of meeting up with the event, our focus was moved to creating and improving articles about Nigerian people and cultures.
Our initial step involved pinpointing thematic focus areas, drawing from content deficiencies on Wikipedia and Wikidata. These areas encompassed prominent Nigerian figures, historical occurrences, indigenous locales, and diverse cultures.
To foster engagement, we partnered with Nigerian institutions, cultural bodies, and Wikimedia communities. We conducted pre-event training, equipping participants with essential skills in article creation, referencing, and compliance with Wikimedia guidelines.
Each event comprised a blend of online and in-person edit-a-thons, workshops, and mentorship. Participants received curated resources, editing guides, and access to dependable sources. We monitored progress via dashboards and conducted post-event evaluations to gauge impact.
Ultimately, this approach resulted in the creation and enhancement of numerous articles, simultaneously broadening the cadre of proficient Nigerian editors contributing to Wikimedia projects.
2. Were there any strategies or approaches that you felt were effective in achieving your goals? Please describe these strategies and approaches.
We employed several effective strategies during the Wikimedia events to achieve our goals concerning Nigerian people, events, places, and cultures:
1. Fostering Local Engagement: Our priority was collaborating with local Wikimedia user groups, cultural institutions, and universities. This approach built trust, ensured relevance, and promoted lasting participation.
2. Enhancing Skills through Workshops: We conducted virtual and physical training sessions before the edit-a-thons. The workshops focused on improving editing skills, teaching reliable sourcing, and clarifying Wikipedia’s notability and NPOV policies, ultimately boosting contribution quality and consistency.
3. Curating Thematic Resources: Each event had a specific thematic focus, such as Nigerian health centres, biographies of notable women, or historical events. We provided pre-researched resources to ensure verifiability and depth in contributions.
4. Leveraging Tracking Tools: We utilized Wikimedia outreach dashboards to monitor contributions, maintain transparency, and encourage friendly competition among participants.
5. Sustaining Engagement through Mentorship: Pairing new contributors with experienced editors fostered a supportive learning environment. Post-event follow-ups and online meetups also helped retain contributors and track long-term impact.
These integrated strategies led to active participation, improved article quality, and sustained editor engagement beyond the events.
3. Please use this space to upload media and other files that help tell your story and impact.
Field to type in URLs.
https://outreachdashboard.wmflabs.org/campaigns/wikimedia_for_all_20232024_campaign/overview
4. To what extent do you agree with the following statements regarding the work carried out with the support of this Fund? You can choose “not applicable” if your work does not relate to these goals.
| A. Bring in participants from underrepresented groups | Disagree |
| B. Create a more inclusive and connected culture in our community | Agree |
| C. Develop content about underrepresented topics/groups | Neither agree nor disagree |
| D. Develop content from underrepresented perspectives | Neither agree nor disagree |
| E. Encourage the retention of editors | Strongly agree |
| F. Encourage the retention of organizers | Agree |
5. Is there anything else you would like to share about how your efforts helped to bring in participants and/or build out content, particularly for underrepresented groups?
A cornerstone of our success lies in deliberately fostering inclusive environments that embrace underrepresented voices, particularly those of women and young people. We forged partnerships with student groups (JCI University of Port Harcourt), and cultural associations (Ken Saro-Wiwa Foundation) to guarantee equitable representation. This not only enriched Wikimedia content but also enabled new editors from marginalized communities to share their narratives.
Furthermore, we employed social media campaigns, local language communication, and peer-to-peer outreach to attract participants from diverse backgrounds. By offering beginner-friendly training sessions and access to mobile-compatible editing tools, we dismantled technical obstacles that often deter involvement.
Our events also functioned as a vehicle for cultural preservation, documenting indigenous knowledge, oral histories, and local customs often overlooked by mainstream media. This strategy helped to bridge knowledge gaps and ensured a more comprehensive representation of Nigeria’s rich and varied heritage across Wikimedia projects.
Part 2: Your main learning
[edit]6. In your application, you outlined your learning priorities. What did you learn about these areas during this period?
During this period, I observed how the local community in the Niger Delta engaged with the concept of open knowledge, particularly through Wikipedia. Awareness of the value of freely sharing knowledge grew, especially as participants learned how Wikipedia could serve as a global platform for preserving their cultural heritage and local issues. While initial enthusiasm was high, there was a noticeable disparity in access to digital resources and technical skills, which affected the depth of engagement.
Through hands-on workshops, I saw a marked improvement in participants’ editing abilities. They began to grasp Wikipedia’s guidelines and editing tools, showcasing their growing confidence in contributing to the platform. What stood out was the community's interest in topics related to their local context, which helped drive their involvement.
Post-event, many participants continued editing, indicating that the project successfully instilled a sense of ownership and long-term interest. The initiative not only improved digital literacy but also cultivated a culture of self-sustaining editors who understood the importance of sharing local knowledge with the world. This shift towards continued engagement, beyond the event itself, was a significant success.
7. Did anything unexpected or surprising happen when implementing your activities?This can include both positive and negative situations. What did you learn from those experiences?
During the implementation of the activities, several unexpected situations arose, both positive and challenging, which provided valuable learning experiences.
One of the most surprising outcomes was the level of enthusiasm that participants displayed once they understood how they could use Wikipedia to share their own narratives. While we anticipated interest in editing, we didn’t expect such a deep connection to the idea of preserving local history. Many participants shared personal stories or local knowledge that wasn’t previously documented online, which emphasized the potential for Wikipedia to serve as a tool for cultural preservation.
On the flip side, we faced challenges related to varying levels of digital literacy. Some participants struggled with the technical aspects of editing, which initially caused frustration and slowed progress. This highlighted the need for more tailored, guidance, especially for people less familiar with digital platforms.
We also underestimated the time needed to overcome skepticism about Wikipedia’s reliability. Some community members were wary of contributing to a platform they didn’t fully trust. Through continued dialogue and showcasing successful local examples, we were able to address these concerns.
Ultimately, these unexpected challenges and successes taught us the importance of flexibility, patience, and continuous support in empowering participants. It also reinforced the value of local ownership in driving long-term engagement.
8. How do you hope to use this learning? For instance, do you have any new priorities, ideas for activities, or goals for the future?
Through this learning experience, I hope to enhance my approach to community engagement and project execution. One key priority going forward is to design activities that are more inclusive and targeted at underrepresented groups, ensuring broader participation and impact. I’ve also gained new insights into the importance of structured follow-ups and mentorship for participants, which I intend to integrate into future programs to boost retention and skill development.
Additionally, I aim to explore partnerships with local institutions and media outlets to amplify visibility and participation. Future activities will place a stronger emphasis on measurable outcomes—such as content quality, editor retention, and diversity metrics—so I can better assess and report impact.
This experience has inspired me to incorporate more training sessions around sourcing reliable references, particularly in thematic areas like science, heritage, and local knowledge. Ultimately, I’m more committed than ever to promoting equitable access to knowledge and ensuring that the communities I serve feel empowered to contribute meaningfully to Wikimedia projects.
9. Documentation of resources: Use this space to upload any documents that would be useful to share with others (e.g. communications material, training material, presentations).
Here is an additional field to type in URLs.
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1M-Twr7m4amGMMUTS6AFc4tvnQuoLtGyV87P_ipMEqH8/edit?usp=sharing
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1X6uOy8IFiseSZ9JpcWBXz2wJWoiDshIMGsY0S70hQe0/edit?usp=sharing
Part 3: Metrics
[edit]10a. Open Metrics reporting
In your application, you defined some open metrics and targets (goals). You will see a table like the one below with your metric in the title and the target you set in your proposal automatically filled in. Use the tables to report the result. Use the comments column to describe any aspects of this result that you find relevant. If the results were different from the initial target (goals) then you can explain why and what you learned from this. You can also provide any qualitative analysis regarding these results. In the last column please describe the tools and methodology used to collect this data and any difficulties you might have had.
| Open Metrics | Description | Target | Results | Comments | Methodology |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Strengthened Wikimedia Community | The Wikimedia communities in the South-South geopolitical zone of Nigeria are still in the rejuvenation stage. This contest would strengthen the community through the physical trainings and edit-a-thons to be carried out at different locations. We project 20 editors to be actively involved in different Wikimedia communities across Nigeria | N/A | 105 | 105 unique editors were registered for different events; with a total of 164 registered editors. In total, 173 people showed up for 9 events. | Head count and outreach dashboard. |
| Increase the number of new editors | The campaign would recruit new editors and train them to be competent in the Wikimedia projects. A projection of at least 10% retention for new editors in the campaign | N/A | 21 | 79 editors were registered across the 9 events. 17 were retained. this gives a 21.52% retention for new editors | Outreach dashboard |
| 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 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
10b. Core Metrics reporting
In your application, you defined targets for some core metrics and targets (goals). You will see a table like the one below with each core metric in the title and the target you set in your proposal automatically filled in. Use the tables to report the result. Use the comments column to describe any aspects of this result that you find relevant. If the results were different from the initial target (goals) then you can explain why and what you learned from this. You can also provide any qualitative analysis regarding these results. In the last column please describe the tools and methodology used to collect this data and any difficulties you might have had. Note: a table will appear for each Wikimedia project content contribution you defined in your proposal.
| Core metrics | Description | Target | Results | Comments | Methodology |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of participants | This event seeks to not only cater to experienced editors but also serve as a medium for recruiting new ones in Nigeria. | 100 | 173 | 105 unique editors were registered for different events; with a total of 164 registered editors. In total, 173 people showed up for 9 events. | |
| Number of editors | The target editors are Nigerian editors within the Nigerian User Group but with main focus on the Southern States of Rivers, Delta, Bayelsa, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Edo and Imo | 50 | 164 | 105 unique editors were registered for different events; with a total of 164 registered editors. In total, 173 people showed up for 9 events. | |
| Number of organizers | At the moment, physical events would be held in Rivers State, Delta State and the University of Ibadan. | 3 | 5 | 5 organisers assisted during the course of the events |
| Wikimedia Project | Description | Target | Results | Comments | Methodology |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wikipedia | This contest aims majorly at creating new articles for African film and tv for the FESPACO film festival of 2023. Other notable articles related to African film/TV would also be accepted. We project at least 200 articles to be created | 200 | 28 | SInce a vast majority of editors were newbies, and for the fact that the event focused moved from the FESPACO project, only 28 articles were created, excluding those created by the grantee. | Outreach Dashboard |
| Wikidata | Our target for Wikidata items is at least 1000 | 1000 | 2396 | N/A | Outreach dashboard |
| 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 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
12. Did you have any difficulties collecting data to measure your results? This could include things like a lack of time or resources, or the expertise in your team to collect this data. It could also include difficulties with particular data collection tools.
No
12a. State what difficulties you had.
N/A
12b. How do you hope to overcome these challenges in the future? Do you have any recommendations for the Foundation to support you in addressing these challenges?
N/A
13. Use this space to upload any documents and provide links to any tools you have used that would be useful to understand your data collection (e.g., surveys you have carried out, communications material, training material, program and event dashboard link, project page on Meta).
Here is an additional field to type in URLs.
https://outreachdashboard.wmflabs.org/campaigns/wikimedia_for_all_20232024_campaign/overview
14. Have you shared these results with other Wikimedian communities (either affiliates, user groups, volunteers, etc., different to yours)? This can include things such as data and direct outcomes, lessons you have learned, or information on how to run or recreate your programs.
No
14a. If yes or partially, please describe how you have already shared them and if you would like to do more sharing, and if so how.
Part 4: Financial reporting and compliance
[edit]15. & 14a. Please state the total amount spent in your local currency.
1647100 NGN
16. Please state the total amount spent in USD.
1267 USD
17. Please report the funds received and spending in the currency of your fund.
17a. Upload a financial report file.
17b. Please provide a link to your financial reporting document.
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Oe8WjIZx0sW1cybJ7dvpLK31wdWbP4jxK6eqtS5u8Yw/edit?usp=sharing
As required in the fund agreement, please report any deviations from your fund proposal here. Note that, among other things, any changes must be consistent with our WMF mission, must be for charitable purposes as defined in the grant agreement, and must otherwise comply with the grant agreement.
17c. If you have not already done so in your budget report, please provide information on changes in the budget in relation to your original proposal.
The initial purpose of the funds were to organise trainings and a contest targeted at creating articles for the FESPACO project. This was not possible as other organisers pulled out due to issues within their organisation. Comments were sent to the WMF without reply. As a result, the funds were repurposed for trainings and raising new editors within thr Niger Delta region of Nigeria
18. Do you have any unspent funds from the Fund?
Yes
18a. Please list the amount and currency you did not use and explain why.
16,850 NGN (around 11 USD).
This amount was not spent as there was no reason to spend it after all expenses have been fully paid
18b. What are you planning to do with the underspent funds?
C. I am planning to send them back to the WMF
18c. Please provide details of hope to spend these funds.
N/A
19. Are you in compliance with the terms outlined in the fund agreement?
Yes
20. Are you in compliance with all applicable laws and regulations as outlined in the grant agreement?
Yes
21. 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
22. If you have additional recommendations or reflections that don’t fit into the above sections, please write them here.
All images from the series of events can be found here: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:Contributions/SuperSwift
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