Grants:Wikimedia UG Nigeria Grants/Wikimedia User Group Nigeria Community Support Fund/Arabiyu/Niger Wikimedia Community Building and Capacity Workshop

Project summary

Briefly summarize your project proposal.

"WikiMinna" is a targeted initiative aimed at establishing a vibrant, self-sustaining Wikimedia community in Minna, Niger State, while simultaneously reducing the content gap regarding the state's geography, culture, people, and institutions. The project will feature a comprehensive two-day physical workshop focusing on Wikipedia and Wikidata. Under the leadership of experienced Wikimedians, participants will learn how to create and improve articles, navigate Wikidata items, and contribute high-quality citations, fostering a new hub of open knowledge editors in North-Central Nigeria.

Wikimedia Project

Please state the Wikimedia project your project will focus majorly on (e.g. Tyap Wikipedia, English Wikiquote, etc). It is advisable to focus on one Wikimedia project, but a maximum of two projects is allowed.

• Hausa Wikipedia
• Wikidata

Contact person and Location

Please state the contact details of the contact person(s) for this project including email(s) and location. For more than one contact person, indicate same details for everyone

• Full name: Arabiyu Ahmed
• Email address: arabiyuahmedgmail.com
• Address: Minna, Niger State
• Location of Project: Minna, Niger State

Project class

Please state if you are applying as an individual or a network/club

• Individual (In collaboration with local volunteers)

Timeline of activities

Please state the timeline of your activities, and include the start and end date for your project

• 1st July 2026 to 30th July 2026

Project Goal

Choose one or more of the following goals. Feel free to add or delete goals as required by your project.

1. recruit new editors
2. Add or improve content

Project Plan

Activities

Tell us how you'll carry out your project. Be sure to answer the following questions:

1. Are you doing one editathon or training or a series of editathons or trainings?

We are organizing a concentrated two-day physical event sequence combining a training workshop with a hands-on edit-a-thon. Day 1 will focus on the fundamentals of Wikipedia editing, policies (notability, verifiability), and an introduction to Wikidata statements. Day 2 will be a dedicated, guided edit-a-thon where participants actively create and improve Niger State-related content and Wikidata items. This will be followed by a two-week online tracking period to sustain engagement.

2. How have you let relevant Wikimedia communities know about this proposal? You may also provide information about external social media channels you may be using.

A notification regarding this proposal will be posted on the Hausa Wikimedia Community WhatsApp group and the Wikimedia User Group Nigeria discussion channels. Additionally, we will share the project details across local educational forums and community groups in Niger State via Facebook and WhatsApp to attract interested local participants.

3. How will you let participants know about the edit-a-thon? In what ways will you be communicating with them?
For example, these can include on-wiki spaces, social media channels, mailing lists, messaging apps, or physical/online gatherings. We will utilize a multi-channel communication strategy:

I will invite some participants via Whatsapp Groups and some physical invites.

4. Do you have experienced Wikimedia editors to lead/assist the event? Please provide links to the usernames of these individuals. (NOTE: all experienced Wikimedia editors MUST endorse and sign your proposal as proof of availability)
For example: User:Kaizenify Yes, the project is structured with experienced leadership to ensure high-quality training and compliance with community standards:

• Organizer: User:Arabiyu
• Project Facilitator: User:Abba Bashir Sheshe
• Project adviser: User:Gwanki

5. Do participants have the equipment or skills needed to participate and contribute content? If not, how will you support them?

Most targeted participants (students and professionals) own smartphones or laptops but lack technical wiki editing skills. We will support them by:

• Securing a venue.
• Providing step-by-step, hands-on training materials translated into accessible concepts.
• Utilizing experienced facilitators to offer one-on-one assistance during the practical sessions.

6. How will you engage participants after the event(s)? To ensure the sustainability of the newly formed community, we will:

• Keep the WhatsApp group active for ongoing mentorship and peer-to-peer support.
• Run a 2-week post-event online mini-campaign with micro-tasks to keep them editing.
• Integrate interested participants into the broader Hausa Wikimedian and WUGN communities for long-term retention.

7. Is there anything else you want to tell us about this project? Niger State is geographically the largest state in Nigeria, yet its rich history, diverse cultures, and local institutions are vastly underrepresented across Wikimedia projects. This event is a critical strategic step to firmly establish a sustainable Wikimedia presence in Minna, empowering local voices to document their own heritage.

Impact

How will you know if the project is successful and you've met your goals? Please include the following targets (only those applicable to your project):

1. Number of events - 2 (1 physical two-day workshop, 1 post-event online campaign)
2. Number of participants - 30
3. Number of new editors - 15
4. Number of of Wikipedia articles created - 50
5. Number of of Wikipedia articles improved - 150
6. Number of Wikidata Items created - 50
7. Number of Wikidata Items edited - 150
8. Number of of images uploaded -
9. Number of repeat participants (for projects that include a series of events) - 20

Metrics tracking

How do you plan to track your project metrics? (do not create a metrics dashboard until your project has been approved for funding) We will use the Wikimedia Programs and Events Dashboard to track user registration, article creations, article edits, byte additions, and Wikidata revisions throughout the duration of the physical event and the post-event campaign.

Contest & prize-giving events

How would decide the winners of your contest (If you are going to have a contest, what is your scoring criteria)

Resources

What resources do you have? Include information on who is organizing the project, what they will do, and if you will receive support from anywhere else (in-kind donations or additional funding).

• User:Arabiyu will oversee general logistics, venue setup, and communication. User:Abba Bashir Sheshe will design the training curriculum and lead the technical presentation sessions.
• Technical advice on regional outreach and reporting templates will be provided by User:Gwanki. Volunteers will utilize their personal laptops/smartphones.

What resources do you need? For your funding request, list bullet points for each expense as a unit amount and include a total amount.

Endorsements

Community members are encouraged to endorse your project request here!

•  Strong support Highly support this proposal. Having worked within the community. --Abba Bashir Sheshe (talk) 21:50, 15 June 2026 (UTC)
•  Strong support Gwanki 📩 08:52, 16 June 2026 (UTC)