Grants:Programs/Wikimedia Community Fund/Rapid Fund/Wiki for Combating Health Misinformation and Disinformation in Akwa Ibom and Rivers State (ID: 23553265)
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Applicant Details
[edit]- Main Wikimedia username. (required)
Jerry minor
- 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.
Wiki for Combating Health Misinformation and Disinformation in Akwa Ibom and Rivers State
- 2. and 3. Proposed start and end dates for the proposal.
2025-11-10 - 2026-02-28
- 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)
Misinformation generally relates to wrong or false information on a subject. Misinformation is often intentionally disseminated to mislead the public on a crucial matter. Amobi et al (2019) describe misinformation as information that is false, but which the person disseminating it believes to be factual. This includes innocent sharing of made-up stories by people who believe them to be true (Cheeseman, 2019).. According to the World Health Organization, misinformation may or may not lead to harm, whereas disinformation is primarily spread with the knowledge that it is false, thereby leading to harm and health issues in society. The sole aim behind misinformation and disinformation can be economic, ideological, or political, and this can be catastrophic in society. Recently, the World Economic Forum referred to misinformation and disinformation as tools for propagating internal and external political and societal issues, and this can be detrimental to society (World Economic Forum, Global Risk Report, 2024).
When facing a health decision, people tend to seek and access web-based information and other resources before visiting the hospital. Unfortunately, this exposes them to a substantial volume of misinformation. Health misinformation in Nigeria ranges from rumours, like claims that bathing with salt water will cure Ebola, to ethnically based beliefs and superstitions, such as the claim by some tribes that men who eat food while it is cooking on a fire are prone to impotency, to misperceptions about causes of diseases and illnesses, their modes of transmission and treatment, and the herbal concoctions which can treat them. Social media gives people without medical backgrounds and self-proclaimed “herbal” doctors the ability to disseminate health misinformation to a wide range of people, and exacerbates the risks posed by it. (Misinformation fuelling HPV vaccine hesitancy in Nigeria - Report) In recent times, as part of efforts to combat misinformation and disinformation, researchers at the Department of Mass Communication at the University of Lagos, Nigeria, embarked on a fact-checking campaign against misinformation and disinformation in the country. The findings from their study revealed a lot of misinformation and disinformation, as outlined below; · Basil (known as Efirin in Yoruba, Nchanwu in Igbo) is believed to be effective in the treatment of high blood pressure. · It is believed that the juice of Basil(known as Efirin in Yoruba, Nchanwu in Igbo), Bitter leaf(Vernonia Amygdalina, known as Onugbu in Igbo), Gongronema Latifolium(known as Utazi in Igbo), and Moringa(known as Odudu Oyibo in Igbo, Zogale in Hausa, Ewe Ile in Yoruba)are effective in the treatment of stomach disorders. · It is believed that palm oil heated on a red-hot knife can be used to disinfect and cure a puncture wound caused by sharp objects like nails, pins, or glass on the fingers, toes or soles of the feet. · It is believed that coconut water can neutralise poison. · It is claimed that various foods, including wild salmon, Brussel sprout, oranges, almonds, hazelnuts, green tea and dark chocolate, lower cholesterol. · It has been claimed that COVID-19 can be cured by drinking water boiled with chopped garlic. · It is claimed that scientists at the University of Ibadan have recommended a plant called Euphorbia Hirta (known as Ba ala in Igbo, Akunesan in Yoruba, Nononkurciya in Hausa and Asin uloko in Edo) as herbal alternative for mitigating some of the diseases associated with COVID 19. (Monitoring Health Misinformation in Nigeria, 2020).
The above-mentioned misinformation and disinformation can be properly combated through educating society, and most especially the medical students, on the role of Wikimedia projects in combating this menace in society. Wikimedia projects can be a viable tool towards reducing this menace through campaigns aimed at training medical students on how to contribute to health-related pages and share verified information on health-related content. This is where the theme of the project, being summarized as health literacy, comes into play. Creating awareness about these issues through the creation of articles on Wikipedia and its sister projects will not just expose the medical students to Wikimedia projects but will also help them to be conscious about health-related misinformation and disinformation on the internet. This project intends to expose the medical students in higher institutions in Akwa Ibom and Rivers State to Wikimedia projects and the act of using them as a tool to curb misinformation and disinformation. In these regions, health misinformation and disinformation issues exist due to the prevalence of poorly qualified and unauthorized medical personnel, as reported in recent times. (Rivers Seals 4 Clinics, Arrests 12 Fake Doctors). Recently, reports revealed that misinformation is one of the issues hindering the acceptance of vaccines in Nigeria, and most especially in the Niger Delta. (https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/more-news/816166-misinformation-fuelling-hpv-vaccine-hesitancy-in-nigeria-report.html) The project aims to bring significant change by training and equipping young medical students to contribute their knowledge of health literacy and exposure using the project theme. The project also aims to create awareness about health literacy levels in the state and how to improve health literacy in their communities. Also, this project will help to fill the Wikipedia content gap around health misinformation and disinformation activities in Nigeria, with a specific focus on Akwa Ibom and Rivers State and the Niger Delta region, where this issue is a challenge. (Breaking the chain of misinformation in Nigeria’s health sector – Daily Trust)
- 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.
We will be embarking on the following activities: 1. To achieve the aim of the project, which is to combat the menace of Health Misinformation and Disinformation among youths in Akwa Ibom and Rivers State, we will organize awareness and sensitization campaigns about Health Misinformation and Disinformation among youths in the two states of the Niger Delta. We will also carry out an awareness campaign on Wikipedia project editing among medical students in the College of Nursing Sciences, University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital, and the College of Health Sciences, University of Uyo.
2. We will be partnering with the Port Harcourt University Medical Students Association (PUMSA). The Port Harcourt University Medical Students Association (PUMSA) is an outstanding student body founded in the year 1981 and launched formally in 1985, with its motto being "selfless service to mankind". The body has taken giant strides in collaboration with the Nigerian Medical Association, Rivers State Chapter by carrying out health-related campaigns and outreaches aimed at improving healthcare among youths in Rivers State. (PUMSA UNIPORT (@pumsa_official) • Instagram photos and videos). During the campaign, the association will speak on the dangers of health misinformation and disinformation in Rivers State and how medical students can be agents of change in this fight for a better society.
3. We will be partnering with the University of Uyo Medical Students Association (UUMSA). This is the student body in charge of the medical students at the University of Uyo. The association collaborates with the Nigerian Medical Association, Akwa Ibom State Chapter. Interactions with the association will be similar to those of the PUMSA. (https://www.instagram.com/official_uumsa?igsh=M3ExNDZka3o0bGd6 )
4. We will organize two in-person events per institution, followed by virtual sessions on Zoom. These events will consist of Wikipedia Training and an Edit-a-thon on the theme of the campaign. A total of 45 undergraduate students in each of the two higher institutions will be trained, and they will be expected to educate and create awareness about health misinformation and disinformation by improving and creating content about the theme of the campaign on Wikipedia and its sister projects.
5. We will create awareness, organize sensitization campaigns, and train undergraduate medical students at the College of Health Sciences, University of Uyo and the College of Nursing Sciences, University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital so that they can be well informed about health misinformation and disinformation, and also be the front runners championing the campaign against these menaces in their institutions and in extension in Akwa Ibom and Rivers State. The selected undergraduate medical students from two higher institutions (College of Health Sciences, University of Uyo and the College of Nursing Sciences, University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital) will be trained on how Wikimedia projects can be used to combat the subject matter.
6. We will create an outreach dashboard where we will assign already curated articles on health-related topics in Nigeria to participants, monitor their activities, and create a separate WhatsApp group where participants will be mentored after the events. This initiative will help participants to solidify their knowledge through knowledge sharing and collaboration. Also, interested participants will be added to the Wikimedia Nigeria Usergroup, the Rivers Network, the Akwa Ibom network, and other theme-related groups for continual contribution and follow-up of Wikimedia activities.
- 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.
1. User: Jerry Minor (Project Lead): He is the Head of the Medical Library at the University of Port Harcourt and a Wikimedian who has organized and facilitated Wikimedia programs and trainings within and outside Rivers State, Nigeria. He is the co-founder of the Port Harcourt Wikimedia Hub, which is an informal Wikimedia group housing students and staff from higher institutions in Rivers State and Nearby states who have been trained on Wikimedia projects by the Team. He is also a member of the Wikimedia Rivers Network and was a participant in the Wiki Education’s Scholars and Scientists program. As the head of the medical library at the University of Port Harcourt, he provides health literacy and information literacy services to the users of the medical library and the teaching hospital. In this role, he has realized that misinformation and disinformation are a menace in society, as patients are quick to believe everything they see on the internet with little or no verification processes.
2. User: Andikan Efiok Eduok (Co-facilitator): She is a Nigerian Wikimedian, community, and social media manager. A Fellow of the Africa Wiki Women Fellowship. She contributes to Wikipedia and its sister projects. She is the founder and lead of the Wikimedia User Group Nigeria – Akwa Ibom Network and has served as the Community Engagement Officer for the Wikimedia Niger Delta Network. She led the Train the Trainers South-Southern Nigeria edition in 2024 and was part of the Wiki Loves Africa 2025 Niger Delta planning committee, where she served as an admin, facilitator, and Jury Coordinator. She was also part of the Nigerian Oral History Documentation Project team in Akwa Ibom State
3. User: Nubelbariloe (Advertising and liaison officer for the project): He is a student in the Department of Library and Information Science, University of Port Harcourt, and a Wikimedian from the Nigeria Usergroup who joined the movement in 2022 and has been an active member of the community while contributing to Wikipedia. He was part of the team that executed the Wiki for climate literacy in the Ogoni project, which recorded huge success. He will interface with the student associations to ensure effective representation of medical students.
- 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 primary target participants are medical students and young individuals in the higher institutions in Akwa Ibom and Rivers State who are either new to Wikimedia or existing contributors. The target participants are undergraduate students who have been identified as medical students at the College of Health Sciences, University of Uyo, and the College of Nursing Sciences, University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital. At least 20 participants will be trained from each school. Most of the participants will be newbies, and this will provide an avenue to recruit new Wikimedians for the Wikimedia Nigeria Usergroup, Rivers State Network, and the Akwa Ibom State network while reducing health-related misinformation and disinformation in the region and the country at large.
The participants will be added to a WhatsApp group where onboarding information will be shared. The participants will be mentored on WhatsApp and in Zoom meetings in addition to the in-person training and edit-a-thon. After the events, interested participants will be added to the Rivers State Network, Akwa Ibom State network, Nigeria Usergroup, and other Wikimedia health-related groups, where they will participate in other Wikimedia events and campaigns.
- 10. Does your project involve work with children or youth? (required)
Yes
- 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.
We will adopt the Wikimedia Foundation Youth Safety Policy in all our meetings and ensure everyone is welcome and allowed to contribute to the good of the Movement. At the beginning of each event, we will summarize and read the Wikimedia Youth Safety Policy to all participants, ensuring everyone is informed of its guidelines. https://foundation.wikimedia.org/wiki/Policy:Friendly_space_policy#Youth_Safety
- 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.
I have announced this project in the discussion page of the Nigerian Wikimedia User Group https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Talk:Wikimedia_User_Group_Nigeria#Wiki_for_Combating_Health_Misinformation_and_Disinformation_in_Rivers_State
- 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)
Other Important Topics (topics considered to be of impact or important in the specific context)
- 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)
Geographic
- 15. In what ways do you think your proposal most contributes to the Movement Strategy 2030 recommendations. Select one that most applies. (required)
Identify Topics for Impact
Learning and metrics
[edit]- 17. What do you hope to learn from your work in this project or proposal? (required)
1. We hope to learn how engagement with youths and undergraduate medical students can be used in contributing to Wikimedia projects aimed at reducing misinformation and disinformation among people in society. 2. We hope to create awareness about the misinformation and disinformation on health-related content in Akwa Ibom and Rivers State and attract experts in the medical field who can develop strategies that will be used to curb this menace to improve the health of people in these states. 3. We hope to gain insights into how underrepresented groups in Wikimedia appreciate Wikimedia trainings and how they contribute to Wikimedia projects. Also, we hope to learn how to ensure continuous performance from participants and active contribution to Wikimedia projects from their various language and fan club groups. 4. We hope to understand the role of health literacy in ensuring a safe environment by creating health literacy ambassadors through Wikimedia projects that will champion a safe environment.
- 18. What are your Wikimedia project targets in numbers (metrics)? (required)
| Other Metrics | Target | Optional description |
|---|---|---|
| Number of participants | 48 | 20 new participants from the College of Health Sciences, University of Uyo, and and 20 new participants from the College of Nursing Sciences, University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital.
5 returning participants from the Rivers and Akwa Ibom Network and 3 Organizers |
| Number of editors | 48 | 40 new editors from the Medical Students Association at the two universities.
5 returning editors from the Rivers and Akwa Ibom Network. 3 organizers |
| Number of organizers | 3 | 2 experienced organizers in the Wikimedia Nigeria Community and 1 editor from the Rivers State Network.
The medical association will handle sessions on health literacy and misinformation and disinformation about health-related contents on the internet. The experienced wikimedians will handle the training of participants on Wikimedia projects and how to contribute to reduce the misinformation and disinformation in society. |
| Wikimedia project | Number of content created or improved |
|---|---|
| Wikipedia | 150 |
| Wikimedia Commons | 100 |
| Wikidata | 50 |
| 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)
I will use the outreach dashboard to measure each of the metrics and the event registration tool to monitor registrations, and coordinate training dates and general information to participants.
Financial proposal
[edit]- 21. Please upload your budget for this proposal or indicate the link to it. (required)
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1RiymhPC8RZjSXvEo8w9Zf7VWWkvYsADJXrZjPnMJUuU/edit?gid=0#gid=0
- 22. and 22.1. What is the amount you are requesting for this proposal? Please provide the amount in your local currency. (required)
3561412.48 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.
2430.75 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).