Grants:Programs/Wikimedia Community Fund/Rapid Fund/Let's Connect Peer Learning Program Across Zones in Nigeria. (ID: 22895391)/Final Report
Application type: Standard application
Part 1: Project and impact
1. Describe the implemented activities and results achieved. Additionally, share which approaches were most effective in supporting you to achieve the results. (required)
The Let’s Connect Across Zones in Nigeria 2025 project implemented a combination of national and community-driven peer learning activities aimed at strengthening skills, expanding participation, and deepening local impact across Nigeria’s Wikimedia communities. Key activities and results included: Implemented Activities: Two online learning clinics (March 14 and July 9, 2025), which served as foundational learning and engagement spaces. These sessions introduced participants to the project and covered our challenges.
Participant-led connections: Each of the 14 selected participants was supported to identify a relevant skill, on-wiki or off-wiki, and lead a practical knowledge-sharing session within their local community. All 14 sessions were completed by the end of the project.
Mentorship and facilitation support: Participants received regular guidance from the core team to plan and execute their sessions, including help with documentation and follow-up engagement. For better management, participants were each assigned a coordinator to guide them. The coordinators were the programs team.
Regional representation and inclusion: The program included participants from five major geopolitical zones (North-Central, South-East, South-South, South-West, and North-East), covering 10 Nigerian states.
Results Achieved:
Expanded reach: The program successfully extended the Let’s Connect model to 10 states across Nigeria, ensuring wider regional inclusion and more equitable access to learning.
Stronger peer learning networks: Participants built new relationships and collaborations across zones, contributing to a more connected Wikimedia community.
Increased local activity: The participant-led sessions spurred community engagement, with over 50 community members reached through the localized trainings.
Skill-building outcomes: Organisers improved their capacity in areas such as event planning, Diff blog writing, facilitation, and Wikimedia project documentation.
Most Effective Approaches:
Participant-led Connections: This was the most impactful approach. Allowing participants to identify skills relevant to their communities and lead learning sessions created a sense of ownership, encouraged contextual learning, and improved engagement.
Learning Clinics: we had 2 learning clinics to share impacts with our participants and the global Let’s Connect community.
Tailored mentorship and facilitation: One-on-one check-ins and group mentoring helped participants troubleshoot challenges and gain confidence in delivering sessions.
Regional diversity: Including participants from different zones brought new perspectives into the program and helped bridge learning gaps across regions.
2. Documentation of your impact. Please use space below to share links that help tell your story, impact, and evaluation. (required)
Share links to:
- Project page on Meta-Wiki or any other Wikimedia project
- Dashboards and tools that you used to track contributions
- Some photos or videos from your event. Remember to share access.
You can also share links to:
- Important social media posts
- Surveys and their results
- Infographics and sound files
- Examples of content edited on Wikimedia projects
Two Wikimedia Diff blog posts were published by the project team and all 14 participants also submitted a detailed report for their session which contains all materials used during the sessions too. All reports can be found here: https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Let%E2%80%99s_Connect_Peer_Learning_Program_Across_Zones_in_Nigeria/Reports
Additionally, share the materials and resources that you used in the implementation of your project. (required)
For example:
- Training materials and guides
- Presentations and slides
- Work processes and plans
- Any other materials your team has created or adapted and can be shared with others
Resources: https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Let%E2%80%99s_Connect_Peer_Learning_Program_Across_Zones_in_Nigeria https://docs.google.com/document/d/1dCfpngEJdz-4v4aBmcMsCwmGzYdhv2OCKAtFtp8Z3cA/edit?tab=t.0 https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1fTa-FwDTei4Pi5tLjKpVImTTHrjTAChq?zx=i5kn9eo098vj https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/117rMA8wUOe8n6TMnfhyLO1k2IhJejh-2?zx=i5kn9eo098vj https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/10D3uu89cyw3t0Pzh9OKRECfbk4yNYZuf?zx=i5kn9eo098vj https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Let%27s_Connect_Across_Zones_in_Nigeria
3. To what extent do you agree with the following statements regarding the work carried out with this Rapid Fund? You can choose “not applicable” if your work does not relate to these goals. Required. Select one option per question. (required)
| A. Bring in participants from underrepresented groups | Agree |
| B. Create a more inclusive and connected culture in our community | Strongly agree |
| C. Develop content about underrepresented topics/groups | Agree |
| D. Develop content from underrepresented perspectives | Strongly agree |
| E. Encourage the retention of editors | Agree |
| F. Encourage the retention of organizers | Strongly agree |
| G. Increased participants' feelings of belonging and connection to the movement | Strongly agree |
| F. Other (optional) |
Part 2: Learning
4. In your application, you outlined some learning questions. What did you learn from these learning questions when you implemented your project? How do you hope to use this learnings in the future? You can recall these learning questions below. (required)
You can recall these learning questions below: Through this project, we hope to address key learning questions that will help us understand the effectiveness of our efforts and guide future implementations:
1. How does expanding the Let’s Connect Peer Learning Program to new regions impact participation, skill-sharing, and community engagement in the Wikimedia movement?
2. What skills do participants find most valuable, and how are these skills applied to enhance their contributions to Wikimedia projects and their local communities?
3. What factors contribute to or hinder successful implementation and engagement in learning clinics?
4. To what extent does peer learning enhance the learning experience and outcomes for participants?
5. How can we improve the sustainability and scalability of the Let’s Connect program in Nigeria and beyond?
6. What are the key financial and logistical considerations for scaling this program, and how can we optimize funding to reach more participants while maintaining program quality?
7. Is the financial support provided through this funding helping to reduce barriers such as connectivity issues, access to technology, or logistical challenges, particularly in underrepresented regions?
8. Are there any other existing barriers to participation, and how can they be addressed in future implementations?
9. Are the learning methods and resources offered adequately meeting the needs and interests of participants?
During the implementation of Let’s Connect Across Zones in Nigeria 2025, we actively explored the learning questions outlined in our application. Below is a summary of what we learned and how these insights will guide future projects: How does expanding the Let’s Connect Peer Learning Program to new regions impact participation, skill-sharing, and community engagement in the Wikimedia movement? Expanding to new regions significantly increased diversity and participation, allowing us to connect with Wikimedians across Nigeria’s geopolitical zones. However, we also learned that expansion introduces new complexities, especially when resources are limited. Although regional inclusion was impactful, receiving only 65% of our proposed budget limited our ability to host in-person learning clinics and required us to reduce participant reimbursements. Despite this, participant-led sessions enabled grassroots skill-sharing and fostered engagement at the local level. Future plan: We aim to secure adequate funding in future phases to enable hybrid models (physical + virtual), ensuring broader and more meaningful participation across regions. What skills do participants find most valuable, and how are these skills applied to enhance their contributions to Wikimedia projects and their local communities? Participants found skills like grant writing, community development, language Wikipedia development, and event tool setup particularly valuable. Future plan: We will focus on replicable, applied skill sessions and support post-session mentorship to encourage application of learned skills. What factors contribute to or hinder successful implementation and engagement in learning clinics? Effective engagement was supported by: Assigning team members to monitor and support small groups (4 participants per staff lead), which made coordination manageable.
Offering self-paced learning options that allowed participants to implement sessions within their local context.
However, the following factors hindered engagement:
Reduced budget eliminated the possibility of in-person clinics.
Two participants dropped out due to lack of follow-through, despite initial commitment.
The new format (participant-led connections) was resource-intensive for the team and required more effort to guide each participant.
Future plan: Implement a stricter participant selection process, provide clearer expectations from the start, and explore lighter-touch support models for future participant-led formats.
To what extent does peer learning enhance the learning experience and outcomes for participants?
Peer learning created a sense of ownership and trust. Participants felt more comfortable sharing knowledge and leading community sessions. The sessions were tailored to real community needs, which improved relevance and impact. For example, sessions like “Articles Translation to Yoruba Wikipedia” and “Writing and Structuring Engaging Wikimedia Diff Blogs” had immediate applications.
Future plan: We will continue to prioritize peer-led models, while improving participant training and preparation so that they are more confident facilitators.
How can we improve the sustainability and scalability of the Let’s Connect program in Nigeria and beyond?
Sustainability lies in empowering participants to become future trainers. The small-group support system worked well for scaling, despite its initial demands. The session content was well-documented and can be reused. However, resource limitations (both financial and human) remain a major constraint.
Future plan: Develop reusable toolkits, offer mentorship to past participants to train new cohorts, and secure partnerships to support logistical costs.
What are the key financial and logistical considerations for scaling this program, and how can we optimize funding to reach more participants while maintaining program quality?
A major financial lesson was that partial funding disrupts planning and impacts project quality. Logistically, managing 14 sessions in parallel required strong coordination, which we addressed through structured delegation. The lack of physical sessions also limited bonding among participants.
Future plan: Advocate for full budget allocation before implementation, and plan hybrid formats to reduce cost while improving engagement.
Is the financial support provided through this funding helping to reduce barriers such as connectivity issues, access to technology, or logistical challenges, particularly in underrepresented regions?
Yes, though limited. The funding allowed participants in underserved areas to run sessions locally. However, the cut in budget meant we had to reduce reimbursements, which may have discouraged fuller engagement in some cases.
Future plan: Allocate a specific portion of future budgets to address connectivity and access challenges, especially for rural communities.
Are there any other existing barriers to participation, and how can they be addressed in future implementations?
Yes. Besides connectivity, we faced:
Participant drop-off due to lack of commitment.
High demand on project team because of the new format.
Limited digital literacy in some regions, which delayed session execution.
Future plan: Implement a more selective recruitment process, provide orientation/training before the start, and integrate a lightweight digital literacy component early on.
Are the learning methods and resources offered adequately meeting the needs and interests of participants?
Yes, the methods, especially the self-paced and participant-led format, were appreciated. However, some participants requested additional formats like video tutorials and simplified step-by-step guides. The practical topics were well-received and matched participant interests.
Future plan: Diversify learning formats (e.g., short videos, graphics), offer session templates, and allow optional co-hosting for new facilitators to build confidence.
5. 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? (required)
Yes, a few unexpected developments occurred during the implementation of the Let’s Connect Across Zones in Nigeria project, both positive and challenging. These situations offered useful insights and helped us improve our approach in real-time. One of the major challenges we encountered was the significant shortfall in funding. We received only about 65% of our proposed budget, which forced us to cancel plans for physical learning clinics. This limitation also meant we had to reduce the amount of reimbursement given to participants and cut back on other planned expenses. Although this was a setback, it pushed us to prioritize our core goals and find more efficient ways to deliver impact with fewer resources. We learned to manage limited funding by leaning more on virtual tools and simplifying logistics, which strengthened our capacity for budget resilience in future implementations. Another challenge was the dropout of two participants who had initially expressed strong interest and commitment to the program. This situation made it clear that initial enthusiasm does not always translate into long-term engagement. In the future, we plan to adopt more structured onboarding processes and clearer expectations from the outset, along with contingency plans to account for unexpected participant withdrawals. We also piloted a new approach in this project, the Participant-Led Connection format, which required each participant to organize a learning session based on a specific skill relevant to their community. While this model turned out to be impactful, it was more demanding on the core team than anticipated. Supporting and monitoring 14 participant-led sessions was intensive, especially since it was our first time using this format. To manage the workload, we divided the participants among the team members, with each team member responsible for supporting and following up with a small group. This internal structure made the work more manageable and created stronger individual support for each participant. It taught us the importance of designing support systems that match the complexity of the program model. On the positive side, the level of ownership and initiative displayed by many participants was an unexpected strength. Several participants went beyond the minimum expectations, organizing highly tailored sessions and continuing to engage their communities beyond their initial commitments. This response reinforced our belief in the power of peer-led learning when it is well supported. It also demonstrated that when participants are given autonomy and trusted with leadership, they are more likely to make meaningful contributions and initiate further actions within their communities. Another encouraging outcome was the ripple effect the sessions had in local contexts. Some participants started new projects or became mentors to others in their networks after completing their sessions. This kind of organic growth and community activation wasn’t guaranteed, so it was a valuable reminder that grassroots peer learning, when done well, can lead to sustainable knowledge-sharing and leadership development. These unexpected experiences, both the limitations and the positive surprises, gave us a deeper understanding of what it takes to manage a national-scale, decentralized learning program. We are taking these lessons forward to strengthen the design, support, and sustainability of future editions.
6. What is your plan to share your project learnings and results with other community members? If you have already done it, describe how. (required)
We have shared by publishing two Wikimedia Diff Blog Post that can be found here: https://diff.wikimedia.org/2025/06/18/lets-connect-across-zones-in-nigeria-2025-expanding-access-deepening-impact/ https://diff.wikimedia.org/2025/07/25/lets-connect-across-zones-in-nigeria-2025-a-journey-of-learning-sharing-and-inclusion/
Part 3: Metrics
7. Wikimedia Metrics results. (required)
In your application, you set some Wikimedia targets in numbers (Wikimedia metrics). In this section, you will describe the achieved results and provide links to the tools used.
| Target | Results | Comments and tools used | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Number of participants | 30 | 50 | Attendance form: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1x-atQAMYDFR5i6DSbrUsCH5JRjwlPeUPUd4BDtRxDzc/edit?gid=1829985285#gid=1829985285 |
| Number of editors | 30 | 50 | |
| Number of organizers | 5 | 5 |
| Wikimedia project | Target | Result - Number of created pages | Result - Number of improved pages |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wikipedia | 0 | ||
| Wikimedia Commons | 0 | ||
| Wikidata | 0 | ||
| Wiktionary | |||
| Wikisource | |||
| Wikimedia Incubator | |||
| Translatewiki | |||
| MediaWiki | |||
| Wikiquote | |||
| Wikivoyage | |||
| Wikibooks | |||
| Wikiversity | |||
| Wikinews | |||
| Wikispecies | |||
| Wikifunctions or Abstract Wikipedia |
8. Other Metrics results.
In your proposal, you could also set Other Metrics targets. Please describe the achieved results and provide links to the tools used if you set Other Metrics in your application.
| Other Metrics name | Metrics Description | Target | Result | Tools and comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
9. Did you have any difficulties collecting data to measure your results? (required)
No
9.1. Please state what difficulties you had. 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? (required)
Part 4: Financial reporting
[edit]10. Please state the total amount spent in your local currency. (required)
3578256
11. Please state the total amount spent in US dollars. (required)
2400
12. Report the funds spent in the currency of your fund. (required)
Provide the link to the financial report https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1UD8fLrQNanQQU48NtpCZ9ATlod_3JfsOAAwzT6pNNFM/edit?usp=sharing
12.2. If you have not already done so in your financial spending report, please provide information on changes in the budget in relation to your original proposal. (optional)
13. Do you have any unspent funds from the Fund?
No
13.1. Please list the amount and currency you did not use and explain why.
N/A
13.2. What are you planning to do with the underspent funds?
N/A
13.3. Please provide details of hope to spend these funds.
N/A
14.1. Are you in compliance with the terms outlined in the fund agreement?
Yes
14.2. Are you in compliance with all applicable laws and regulations as outlined in the grant agreement?
Yes
14.3. 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
15. If you have additional recommendations or reflections that don’t fit into the above sections, please write them here. (optional)
Review notes
[edit]Review notes from Program Officer:
N/A
Applicant's response to the review feedback.
N/A