Grants:Programs/Wikimedia Community Fund/Rapid Fund/WLA 2026 For Creatives in Selected Nigerian universities. (ID: 23653683)/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)
Implemented Activities include: Awareness/ Call for Participation February 1-28 : Awareness and Sensitization Outreach & recruitment across 6 universities were conducted online and offline outreach campaigns through social media platforms. Facebook and Instagram ads were done. March 1-15: Virtual launch for the campaign was held on 4th March 2026, at 2pm WAT; The virtual launch provided campaign orientation explaining the theme: “Rites & Rituals”. Other topics discussed include:Introduction to Wikimedia Commons, account creation process, understanding free licencing, step by step guide to making a successful contest submissions. Physical Meet-Ups/Photowalks: Physical Meet up and photowalk was organized in 5 locations, namely: Abuja, Edo, Gombe, Oyo and Rivers state. Rivers State creatives had their physical meet-up/photowalk from 3rd-5th April, 2026. 10 creatives were in attendance Abuja creatives had their meet-up/photowalk on 11th April 2026 and 10 creatives were in attendance. Gombe State had their physical meet-up/photowalk on 29th April, and 10 creatives were in attendance. Oyo State had their physical meetup on 28th April, and 10 creatives were in attendance, and also Edo State had their physical meetup still in the month of April, and 10 creatives were in attendance.
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
Link to Event Page: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Commons:Wiki_Loves_Africa_2026_for_Creatives_in_Nigeria Link to the Program and event Dashboard: https://outreachdashboard.wmflabs.org/courses/OCA/WLA_2026_For_Creatives_in_Selected_Nigerian_universities Link to physical event photos: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1uPYZAnGxrZqq9zLHWqtXiZ00Hf-Op_CA/view?usp=sharing The social media platform of open creatives was used for awareness and other social media post. Link can be found here: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1DFAeDpvQU/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/opencreativesafrica?igsh=MWU4eTdqaDFzcXgzOA== X (Twitter): https://x.com/wikicreatives?t=gqW5SZx4q-nu3vOjlQMHsw&s=09 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/open-creatives-africa/ Link to uploaded photos: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Images_from_Wiki_Loves_Africa_2026_for_Creatives_in_Nigeria Examples of images uploaded: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:1U5A1301.jpg, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:A_Dramatic_And_Energetic_Stage_Performance_During_The_Oodua_Special_Recognition_Awards_(OSRA).jpg Category for videos uploaded: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Videos_from_Wiki_Loves_Africa_2026_for_Creatives_in_Nigeria Category for audios uploaded: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Audios_from_Wiki_Loves_Africa_2026_for_Creatives_in_Nigeria
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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
Link to the virtual Lauch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UxIxZjf8Aq0&t=452s
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 | Strongly agree |
| B. Create a more inclusive and connected culture in our community | Agree |
| C. Develop content about underrepresented topics/groups | Strongly agree |
| D. Develop content from underrepresented perspectives | Strongly agree |
| E. Encourage the retention of editors | Strongly agree |
| F. Encourage the retention of organizers | 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:
- How university-based outreach and creative partnerships can attract sustained participation in Wikimedia campaigns.
- What kinds of incentives, mentorship, and recognition most effectively motivate professional creatives to share their works under open licences?
- What training methods and storytelling approaches lead to higher-quality submissions that meet international contest standards.
- How participants interpret and visually represent “Rites and Rituals” across Nigeria’s diverse cultural and ethnic contexts.
- What structures or support systems are most effective in nurturing a sustainable community of Wikimedia creatives who continue contributing beyond the contest period?
- How targeted online advertisements (Google and Meta Ads) impact participation, awareness, and geographic diversity of applicants.
- How storytelling through digital channels can amplify interest in Wikimedia projects within Nigeria’s creative industry.
- Yes, the project demonstrated that university-based outreach is an effective strategy for recruiting and retaining participants in Wikimedia campaigns. By partnering with universities, creative clubs, student associations, the campaign reached young creatives who were interested in photography, storytelling, culture, and digital media.
- The project found that recognition and professional visibility were stronger motivators than monetary incentives alone. Participants were particularly interested in having their work showcased on global Wikimedia platforms, gaining exposure on the global platform, and contributing to the preservation of Nigerian culture.
Mentorship played a significant role in participant motivation. Creatives appreciated direct support from their coordinators on photography techniques, licensing requirements, storytelling, and Wikimedia Commons uploads. creatives want to be seen and appreciated for their works ,time and effort with this been in place sharing their works would be achievable .
- Hands-on training sessions produced the best results. Participants benefited from practical demonstrations on photography composition, image quality, metadata requirements, copyright compliance, and Wikimedia Commons uploading processes. Real-life examples of winning submissions from previous Wiki Loves Africa competitions helped participants understand international standards and expectations.
- Participants demonstrated diverse interpretations of the theme, reflecting Nigeria's rich culture. Submissions documented traditional ceremonies, religious practices, festivals, marriage rites, naming ceremonies, cultural performances, and community gatherings. Participants highlighted both formal and everyday rituals that shape identity and social relationships within their communities.
- The project revealed that rites and rituals are understood not only as traditional cultural practices but also as contemporary social and religious expressions. Participants approached the theme from their unique cultural perspectives, contributing a broad and inclusive representation of Nigerian traditions and heritage
- The most effective support systems included mentorship groups, regular follow-up communication, peer learning opportunities, and access to join the global Wiki loves Africa campaign trainings. Creating dedicated communication channels allowed participants to seek assistance, share experiences, and receive updates about future opportunities.
Ongoing engagement through training opportunities, community events, and future campaigns emerged as key factors for sustaining participation beyond the contest period.
- Targeted online advertising significantly increased awareness of the campaign and expanded its reach beyond existing Wikimedia networks. Google and Meta advertisements helped introduce the contest to photographers, students, content creators, and cultural enthusiasts who had not previously engaged with Wikimedia projects.
The advertisements contributed to greater geographic diversity by reaching participants from different regions of Nigeria. The campaign recorded increased interest from areas where Wikimedia activities are traditionally less visible, demonstrating the value of digital advertising as a tool for outreach and community growth.
- Digital storytelling has proved highly effective in generating interest and engagement. Social media posts, participant testimonials, campaign updates, visual highlights, and success stories helped communicate the value of Wikimedia projects in ways that resonated with creatives.
Stories showcasing contributors, cultural documentation, and the global impact of Wikimedia Commons and testimonials from past winners inspired others to participate. The project found that creatives were more likely to engage when Wikimedia was presented not only as a knowledge platform but also as a space for cultural preservation, creative expression, professional visibility, and social impact. Digital storytelling therefore served as a powerful tool for attracting new contributors and increasing awareness of open knowledge initiatives within Nigeria's creative sector.
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. One of the most surprising outcomes of the project was the level of enthusiasm and commitment demonstrated by participants. participants exceeded our expectations by contributing significantly more images than originally projected and showing a strong interest in learning about Wikimedia projects. Additionally, Due to security concerns in some states, group photowalk did not hold in one state but the participants participated in other aspects of the campaign. And as with many collaborative projects, organizing team brought different perspectives to some implementation decisions. Through constructive discussions, we reached consensus and moved forward successfully.
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)
I have shared the project learnings on diff. The link can be found here: https://diff.wikimedia.org/2026/06/25/documenting-nigerias-rites-and-rituals-through-wiki-loves-africa-2026-for-creatives-in-nigeria/
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 | 60 | 99 | The Event registration tool and the outreach dashboard. |
| Number of editors | 60 | 99 | |
| Number of organizers | 16 | 16 |
| Wikimedia project | Target | Result - Number of created pages | Result - Number of improved pages |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wikipedia | |||
| Wikimedia Commons | 1000 | 2197 | 0 |
| Wikidata | |||
| 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)
2856600
11. Please state the total amount spent in US dollars. (required)
2069
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/1Z4QyZeFB_V2FPlIhW6wwQ30axEQR1pXTKOWaxgRf0eQ/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)
The approved fund was used in accordance with the project.
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)