Grants:Programs/Wikimedia Community Fund/Rapid Fund/WikiAcademics:Expanding Wikimedia in Northern Nigerian Universities (ID: 23544402)
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)
Gwanki
- Organization
Hadaka Open Learning Network
- 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)
I'm a board member or president of a Wikimedia Affiliate or mission-allied organization.
- Describe all relevant roles with the name of the group or organization and description of the role. (required)
The project team includes Abubakar Ali (User: Gwanki), Chairman of HOLN and Hausa Wikipedia admin with over a decade of Wikimedia experience; Yusuf Sa’adu (User: Mahuta), Secretary and Hausa Wikipedia admin with grant and training experience; Mr. Snatch, PRO of HOLN and University of Maiduguri graduate with outreach experience in Borno and Yobe; and A. Sulaiman Z, Treasurer and Hausa Wikipedia admin with expertise in event organization and grant management. Together, they bring strong Wikimedia, academic, and community engagement experience to deliver this project.
Main Proposal
[edit]- 1. Please state the title of your proposal. This will also be the Meta-Wiki page title.
WikiAcademics: Expanding Wikimedia in Northern Nigerian Universities
- 2. and 3. Proposed start and end dates for the proposal.
2025-11-01 - 2025-11-30
- 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)
Not applicable
- 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)
Change we are trying to bring: This project wants to help universities in Northern Nigeria work together with Wikimedia. We want lecturers, researchers, and students to learn how to contribute to Wikipedia and other Wikimedia projects, not only to read. We want to create a long-term partnership so that knowledge from our universities, especially in Hausa language, can be shared with the world.
Main challenges/problems:
- Many lecturers and students only use Wikipedia for reading, they don’t know they can edit or contribute.
- Some people do not believe Wikipedia is reliable because they don’t understand how it is written and improved.
- Academic research from our universities is not shared on Wikipedia or Wikimedia projects.
- Hausa Wikipedia does not have enough academic content, even though Hausa is the most spoken language in Nigeria.
- Previous awareness events created interest, but without follow-up, the activities did not continue.
Main approaches/strategies:
- Work with Faculties of Languages and student groups in each university to support Wikimedia activities.
- Train lecturers, researchers, and students on how to create and improve articles, add references, and translate into Hausa.
- Build small Wikimedia communities inside each university that will continue activities after the project.
- Expand the work we already started in Kano, Maiduguri, and Jos by moving from only awareness to strong partnerships with the schools.
Why these approaches will work:
- Our team already has experience with similar Wikimedia projects in these universities.
- Student groups and lecturers have already shown interest in working with us.
- Hausa Wikipedia needs more content, and these universities can help to close the gap.
- By focusing on training, partnership, and community, the project will have lasting impact, not only short events.
Positive change for people: Lecturers and researchers will learn new ways to share their knowledge with the public. Students will gain skills in research, writing, and digital knowledge. Hausa Wikipedia will grow with more quality articles. The universities will have a stronger link to the global knowledge movement.
- 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.
Our planned activities will build on the existing connections we already have with Northwest University Kano, University of Maiduguri, and University of Jos, where our team has previously organized Wikimedia awareness projects. We will begin with partnership meetings with lecturers and student associations, especially from the Faculties of Languages, to introduce the WikiAcademics program and agree on roles, schedules, and areas of focus. After this, we will organize physical training workshops in each university for lecturers, researchers, and students. These trainings will cover how to edit Wikipedia, add reliable references, translate into Hausa, and create academic content.
To make sure the participants continue contributing after the workshops, we will provide follow-up mentorship through online support groups and one-on-one guidance. We will also help to establish small Wikimedia communities in each university so that activities can continue beyond the project timeline. As part of the project, participants will create and improve Hausa Wikipedia articles, with special attention to academic topics such as languages, history, culture, and sciences. Finally, we will create a public project page on Meta-Wiki to share updates, reports, and outcomes for transparency and accountability.
These activities are chosen because they build on our trusted relationships with the universities, provide participants with practical editing skills, and encourage sustainability through mentorship and community building. They also ensure direct contributions to Wikimedia projects and openness through public documentation.
- 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.
Team
This project will be carried out by experienced Wikimedians and project organizers under the Hadaka Open Learning Network (HOLN). All members are volunteers and have long experience in contributing to Wikimedia projects and leading Wikimedia activities across Northern Nigeria.
- Abubakar Ali (User:Gwanki) – Project Lead
Gwanki has been an active Wikimedian since 2013 and has organized Wikimedia projects since 2021, including the Wikimedia Awareness at Northwest University Kano. He is an administrator on Hausa Wikipedia, with significant contributions also on English Wikipedia, Wikidata, and other Wikimedia projects. He received the Best Indigenous Language Contributor of the Year 2024 award from Wikimedia User Group Nigeria at WikiConference Nigeria in Abuja. He will serve as the overall coordinator of this project.
- Yusuf Sa’du (User:Mahuta) – Secretary
Mahuta is an administrator on Hausa Wikipedia and one of the most active Wikimedians from Northern Nigeria. He has organized and facilitated several Wikimedia projects across the region, including awareness and training programs at different universities. He brings strong experience in training new editors and ensuring quality contributions.
- Mr. Snatch (User:Mr. Snatch) – Public Relations Officer (P.R.O)
Mr. Snatch is a graduate of the University of Maiduguri and has led several Wikimedia projects in Borno and Yobe States. He organized the Wikimedia Awareness at the University of Maiduguri and has facilitated many Wikimedia events across Northern Nigeria. He will take the lead in coordinating activities in the North East and connecting with students and lecturers at the University of Maiduguri.
- A Sulaiman Z (User:A Sulaiman Z) – Treasurer
A Sulaiman Z is an administrator on Hausa Wikipedia and an experienced Wikimedia projects organizer. He has organized and facilitated several Wikimedia events in Northern Nigeria, with special focus on Hausa content contribution and community building. He will support the financial coordination of the project while also serving as a facilitator.
In addition, the team will work in partnership with the Students Union Governments (SUG) and Faculty of Languages of each participating university. These partners will help mobilize lecturers and students, ensuring strong participation and sustainability of the project in their institutions.
- 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)
Our target participants are students, lecturers, and researchers from Northwest University Kano, University of Maiduguri, and University of Jos. We will mostly work with the Faculties of Languages and student associations where we already have connections.
Before the activities, we will engage them through meetings with the schools, student unions, and by sharing posters and messages on WhatsApp and social media.
During the activities, we will train them in workshops on how to use and contribute to Wikipedia, Hausa Wikipedia, Wikidata, and other Wikimedia projects. We will also give them group editing practice and guide them step by step.
After the activities, we will keep following up through WhatsApp/Telegram groups, mentorship by our team members, and by tracking their edits with the Programs & Events Dashboard. This will help them stay active as part of the Hausa Wikimedia community and continue contributing to academic content.
- 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.
This project idea came from the requests we received from our previous participants in the Wikimedia awareness projects we organized at Northwest University Kano, University of Maiduguri, and University of Jos. Many of them asked us to return for follow-up trainings and more advanced support. They want to learn more and continue contributing to Wikimedia projects, especially Hausa Wikipedia.
Under Hadaka Open Learning Network, our leadership team held a physical meeting in Kano and also several online meetings where we discussed these requests and planned how to respond to them in a structured way. After much discussion, we agreed to design this WikiAcademics program to expand the trainings, strengthen partnerships with universities, and provide long-term mentorship.
We have also shared the idea within our Hausa Wikimedia community, including some on-wiki discussions here and here and direct communication with active Hausa Wikipedians. We are making sure this project aligns with other Wikimedia activities in Northern Nigeria, so that it complements and strengthens ongoing community work instead of duplicating it.
- 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)
Not applicable
- 13. Does your proposal include any of these areas or thematic focus? Select one option that most applies to your work. (required)
Education
- 14. Will your work focus on involving participants from any underrepresented communities? Select one option that most apply to your work. (required)
Digital Access
- 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)
From this project, we hope to learn:
1. How effective are partnerships with universities in bringing more lecturers, researchers, and students into Wikimedia projects? 2. What methods of training and follow-up work best to keep new contributors active after the workshops? 3. How can we make Hausa Wikipedia and other Wikimedia projects more trusted by academics and students who at first doubt their reliability? 4. What motivates students and lecturers to continue contributing after the first training? 5. What challenges do new academic contributors face when editing, and how can we support them better?
- 18. What are your Wikimedia project targets in numbers (metrics)? (required)
| Other Metrics | Target | Optional description |
|---|---|---|
| Number of participants | 150 | We wish to train at least 50 participants in each university. |
| Number of editors | 60 | We're targeting to have at least 60 editors |
| Number of organizers | 4 | The project is being organized by four organizers, and we will work with the Student Union government of each school to reach and engage the participants. |
| Wikimedia project | Number of content created or improved |
|---|---|
| Wikipedia | 1200 |
| Wikimedia Commons | 150 |
| Wikidata | 500 |
| Wiktionary | 50 |
| Wikisource | 50 |
| Wikimedia Incubator | |
| Translatewiki | |
| MediaWiki | |
| Wikiquote | |
| Wikivoyage | 50 |
| 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)
We will use the Wikimedia Foundation's Dashboard Tool
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)
3660628 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.
2386.77 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).