Wikimedia Heritage User Group Nigeria/Activities and Events
Competitions
Exciting competitions in 2024, Unleashing creativity in heritage conservation.
Edit-a-thons, photography competitions, and design/wiki art competitions give members and enthusiasts the chance to showcase their passion, skills, and dedication to preserving architectural and Nigerian cultural heritage.
Yearly Activities Timeline
The user group meets once every month; in the case of an event, it could be more than once a month. Meetings are held via Zoom or Google Meet, and some on WhatsApp. Click a year below to jump to it.
Teaching and training community members and other professionals about communal collaborations, and their various roles in preserving heritage either through archives or the building itself.
Teaching and educating community members on sustainable practices of archive storage and its curation processes.
A seminar on community benefits, sustainable heritage conservation, cross-cultural partnership strategies, and ethical standards.
A lecture encouraging cross-border collaboration with speakers from the Canadian Centre for Architecture and Sudan, covering the Find and Tell project and the effects of war on heritage sites.
A speaker from the Wikimedia User Group Nigeria on leveraging wiki projects for heritage reach, with the president of the Nigerian Institute of Architects in attendance for a policy advocacy discussion.
A technical session with a digitization expert on digitizing quality standards, plus facts on heritage building valuation.
Onboarding process with volunteering flyers sent to heritage professionals, growing membership from 15 to 105, followed by skills polls for graphic design, content creation, and managerial roles.
The year opened with a community call to review the group's activities from 2024 and plan around the community's needs for the year ahead.
The month's webinar, Forgotten Architecture: An Eastern Architectural Folklore, explored the mbari house tradition of eastern Nigeria with speakers Tochi Precious and Arc Dr. Chidi Eghelle Siene. Full session details are available in the Webinars section above.
March opened with a Global GLAM call on the 11th and a Wikimedia Commons training workshop on the 15th. The month also saw the launch of the group's Wiki in Schools programme, an office hour on the 18th, and a Pattypan to Fire training on the 22nd. It closed with the webinar Forgotten Architecture: Heritage of Northern Nigeria on the 29th.
April began with a Wiki in Schools presentation on the 3rd and a Global GLAM call on the 8th. The group held a Pattypan upload session on the 12th, an office hour on the 15th, and further Wiki in Schools training on the 23rd. The month closed with the webinar Disaster and Conflict Resilient Heritage on the 26th.
Wiki in Schools training continued through May, alongside a Global GLAM call on the 13th and an office hour on the 20th. The webinar Sacred Signs and Symbols: Tales of Yoruba Architectural Ornamentation took place on the 24th. The month closed with a live Pattypan upload session on the 31st.
June followed a similar rhythm to May, opening with a Global GLAM call on the 10th and an upload session on the 14th. An office hour followed on the 17th, and a hyperlink creation session was held on the 21st. The month closed with the webinar Adaptive Reuse: A Heritage Love Story on the 28th.
July included a Global GLAM call on the 8th and a Wikimentary storytelling session exploring heritage through photography and videography on the 17th.
August centered on Wikimania and the month's webinar, Southern Architectural Folklore: Tales of Benin Architecture and Public Advocacy, held on the 30th, alongside a Global GLAM call.
September opened with a Global GLAM call on the 9th and a Wikimedia Commons upload session on the 13th. The group held an office hour, a Pattypan upload session on the 20th, and a Wiki sandbox review on the 24th. The month closed with the group's monthly webinar on the 27th.
October included a Global GLAM call on the 14th and celebrations for the Wikidata birthday and Ubuntu on the 17th.
November's activity centered on the group's regular Global GLAM call.
January opened the year with the webinar Digital Open Heritage: Institutional Role in Open Heritage Preservation, featuring Amb Olushola Olaniyan and Dr Ijeoma Onyejekwe.
February featured the webinar Heritage, Gender and Open Access: Crossroads of Visibility, Access and Legacy Preservation, alongside the group's regular Global GLAM call.
March brought the webinar Leadership and Open Heritage: Managing People, Partnerships, Trust and Access, together with a Global GLAM call.
April centered on the virtual training Let's Learn Wiki, a Wiki in Schools outreach that engaged about 120 students, alongside a Global GLAM call.
May featured the Wikidata editing workshop 1 Data at a Time, alongside the group's regular Global GLAM call.
June saw the launch of the Wiki 30 for 30 campaign and the Wiki Unlock Uniben outreach, another Wiki in Schools initiative held at the University of Benin, alongside a Global GLAM call.
July's activities centered on Wikimania 2026 and the group's regular Global GLAM call.
Details coming soon.
Details coming soon.
Details coming soon.
Details coming soon.
Webinars
Our webinar series runs alongside the monthly community meetings above, but on its own schedule: sessions are booked around speaker availability rather than a fixed monthly slot, so some months have one, some have none, and a few have had recordings lost along the way. Each session below has space on the side for its event flyer once uploaded to Commons. Click a session for details.
Speakers: Asuru Lutherking Petercan, Prof Warebi Brisibe (Professor of Heritage and Vernacular Architecture)
Recording/Transcript: Not available
Date: 27 April 2024
This opening session looked at how industry professionals and local communities can work together to protect Nigeria's built heritage. Prof Warebi Brisibe, a professor of heritage and vernacular architecture, spoke alongside the group's founder on the roles each side plays in conservation. The conversation covered both archival preservation and the physical upkeep of heritage buildings. It set the tone for the collaborative, cross-disciplinary approach the group has followed since.
Speakers: Duke Abigail (Architect and project manager), Arc Yinka Williams (Architect, Find and Tell Elsewhere team, curator of the Michael Onafowokan archives)
Recording/Transcript: Not available
Date: 25 May 2024
This session focused on the practical standards for storing and curating historic archives. Duke Abigail, an architect and project manager, and Arc Yinka Williams, part of the Find and Tell Elsewhere team that curated the archives of architect Michael Onafowokan, shared hands-on lessons from real curation projects. They discussed the physical care of drawings and documents alongside the process of organizing them for long-term use. The session gave members a grounded, practice-based introduction to archive stewardship.
Speakers: Dr Akani Chizy (Architect, project manager, lecturer), Prof. Erekpitan Omoikhefe Ola-Adisa (Professor of heritage architecture, lecturer)
Recording/Transcript: Available
Date: 29 June 2024
This session examined how heritage research can be conducted ethically across cultural boundaries. Dr Akani Chizy and Prof. Erekpitan Omoikhefe Ola-Adisa discussed strategic approaches to conservation that create real value and benefit for the communities involved. The conversation covered cross-cultural partnership strategies and the ethical standards researchers should hold themselves to. It emphasized that sustainable conservation only works when communities see tangible benefit from it.
Speakers: Elspeth Cowell (Associate Director, Digital Media, Canadian Centre for Architecture), Dr Ahmed Osman Ibrahim (Architectural heritage historian and lecturer in Sudan)
Recording/Transcript: Not available
Date: 27 July 2024
This session brought together voices from Canada and Sudan to discuss cross-border collaboration in heritage research. Elspeth Cowell, Associate Director of Digital Media at the Canadian Centre for Architecture, shared insights from the Find and Tell project. Dr Ahmed Osman Ibrahim, an architectural heritage historian and lecturer in Sudan, spoke on the effects of war and conflict on heritage sites. Together they highlighted how international partnerships can support heritage work in difficult contexts.
Speakers: Ayokanmi Oyeyemi (Program Coordinator, Wikimedia User Group Nigeria), Arc. Chioma Ogbonnaya-Wogu (Director, Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development)
Recording/Transcript: Available for Arc. Chioma Ogbonnaya-Wogu's segment
Date: 31 August 2024
This session looked at the policy side of heritage conservation and how open knowledge platforms can support it. Ayokanmi Oyeyemi, Program Coordinator for the Wikimedia User Group Nigeria, spoke on leveraging wiki projects to widen heritage reach. Arc. Chioma Ogbonnaya-Wogu, Director at the Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, joined for a policy advocacy discussion, with the President of the Nigerian Institute of Architects also in attendance. The session connected grassroots digital advocacy with institutional policy conversations.
Speakers: Julius Macaulay Agbi (Founder, Tecres Technologies Ltd, digitization and EDMS expert), Dr. Utchay Okorji (Estate valuer, senior lecturer)
Recording/Transcript: Available for Julius Macaulay Agbi's segment
Date: 28 September 2024
This technical session covered the standards and processes behind digitizing heritage archives. Julius Macaulay Agbi, founder of Tecres Technologies and a digitization and EDMS expert, walked through digitizing quality standards in detail. Dr. Utchay Okorji, an estate valuer and senior lecturer, added the valuation perspective, explaining how digitization and documentation affect a building's assessed value. The session connected the technical work of digitization to its practical financial stakes.
Speakers: Tochi Precious (Co-founder, Igbo Wikimedia User Group, language diversity hub coordinator), Arc Dr. Chidi Eghelle Siene (Architect, heritage conservation researcher specializing in the earthen architecture of eastern Nigeria, mbari house)
Recording/Transcript: Available
Date: 22 February 2025
This session explored the architectural folklore of eastern Nigeria and the risk of it being forgotten. Tochi Precious, co-founder of the Igbo Wikimedia User Group and a language diversity specialist, spoke on preserving cultural memory through open knowledge. Arc Dr. Chidi Eghelle Siene, a heritage conservation researcher specializing in earthen architecture, focused on the mbari house tradition of eastern Nigeria. Together they showed how language, folklore, and architecture are deeply intertwined in this region's heritage.
Speakers: Muib Sheifu (Wikimedian, administrator, lecturer), Dr. Aminu Dodo (Heritage professional, lecturer)
Recording/Transcript: Not available
Date: 29 March 2025
This session turned attention to the often overlooked architectural heritage of Northern Nigeria. Muib Sheifu, an experienced Wikimedian, administrator, and lecturer, and Dr. Aminu Dodo, a heritage professional and lecturer, discussed how traditional Northern building practices can inform sustainable design today. They covered the materials, climate responsiveness, and cultural logic behind these older structures. The session argued that forgotten regional architecture holds real lessons for contemporary sustainable design.
Speakers: Dr Olufemi Adetunji (Heritage professional, lecturer, ICOMOS Nigeria, monuments and sites preservation), Dr Afolasade Adewumi (Barrister, lecturer, cultural heritage management and law), Prof Warebi Brisibe (Professor of Heritage and Vernacular Architecture)
Recording/Transcript: Not available
Date: 26 April 2025
This session addressed how heritage sites can be protected in the face of disaster and conflict. Dr Olufemi Adetunji, a member of the ICOMOS Nigeria group for monuments and sites preservation, spoke on resilience planning for heritage buildings. Dr Afolasade Adewumi, a barrister and lecturer specializing in cultural heritage law, covered the legal frameworks that protect heritage during crises, alongside returning speaker Prof Warebi Brisibe. The session combined legal, professional, and preservation perspectives on protecting heritage under threat.
Speakers: Dorcas Omolade (Co-founder, Yoruba Wikimedians User Group, Yoruba language editor), Prof Cordelia Osasona (Architect, professor of architecture, conservation and preservation of heritage buildings)
Recording/Transcript: Available
Date: 24 May 2025
This session unpacked the symbolism embedded in Yoruba architectural ornamentation. Dorcas Omolade, co-founder of the Yoruba Wikimedians User Group and a Yoruba language specialist, explained the cultural meaning behind traditional signs and symbols. Prof Cordelia Osasona, an architect and professor specializing in the conservation of heritage buildings, connected these symbols to the broader preservation of Yoruba architectural identity. The session showed how ornamentation carries meaning far beyond decoration.
Speakers: Mark Lapang (Wikidata editor, open knowledge professional, administrator), Dr Davies Damilola (Heritage professional specializing in adaptive reuse)
Recording/Transcript: Available
Date: 28 June 2025
This session made the case for adaptive reuse as a way of saving heritage buildings that might otherwise be lost. Mark Lapang, an experienced Wikidata editor and open knowledge administrator, framed the discussion around documenting these buildings' stories openly. Dr Davies Damilola, a heritage professional specializing in adaptive reuse, shared real examples of heritage buildings given new life through thoughtful repurposing. The session treated adaptive reuse as both a preservation strategy and, as the title suggests, an act of care.
Speakers: Ogbonnaya Ceslause (Open knowledge professional, Igbo wiki editor, copyright law professional), Arc Valerie Daubry Osaretin (Architect practicing in present-day Benin)
Recording/Transcript: Not available
Date: 30 August 2025
This session focused on the architectural folklore of Benin and how open knowledge can help preserve it. Ogbonnaya Ceslause, an open knowledge professional, Igbo wiki editor, and copyright law professional, addressed the legal side of documenting and sharing heritage content. Arc Valerie Daubry Osaretin, an architect practicing in present-day Benin, brought a practitioner's perspective on the region's architectural traditions. Together they connected memory preservation to public advocacy for Southern Nigerian heritage.
Speakers: Bukola James (Eduwiki coordinator, educationist, Wikimedian), Dr Ramota Obagah-Stephen (Heritage professional, architect, history and theory of architecture lecturer)
Recording/Transcript: Available
Date: 29 January 2026
This session looked at bringing open knowledge into the classroom. Bukola James, Eduwiki coordinator and an experienced educationist, shared how Wikipedia and Commons can be used as teaching tools. Dr Ramota Obagah-Stephen, a heritage professional and lecturer in the history and theory of architecture, spoke on infusing wiki practices into architecture education specifically. The session showed how classroom learning and open knowledge platforms can reinforce each other.
Speakers: Amb Olushola Olaniyan (President, Wikimedia User Group Nigeria), Dr Ijeoma Onyejekwe (Deputy Director, National Commission for Museums and Monuments)
Recording/Transcript: Available
Date: 28 February 2026
This session examined the role institutions play in preserving heritage through open platforms. Amb Olushola Olaniyan, President of the Wikimedia User Group Nigeria, spoke on the community and organizational side of open heritage work. Dr Ijeoma Onyejekwe, Deputy Director at the National Commission for Museums and Monuments, brought the institutional and governmental perspective. Together they discussed how grassroots and institutional efforts can align around open heritage preservation.
Speakers: Dr Nkem Osuigwe (Co-founder, AfLIA, librarian and Wikimedian), Prof Enwerekowe Ebelechukwu (Professor of Architecture history, gender studies)
Recording/Transcript: Available
Date: 28 March 2026
This session explored heritage conservation through the lens of gender and access. Dr Nkem Osuigwe, co-founder of AfLIA and an experienced librarian and Wikimedian, spoke on open access as a tool for visibility. Prof Enwerekowe Ebelechukwu, a professor of architecture history specializing in gender studies, examined how gender shapes whose legacy gets preserved and remembered. The session asked who heritage work makes visible, and who it leaves out.
Speakers: Iwuala Lucy (Wikimedian, regional and Igbo funding committees, Wiki Loves Monuments committee), Arc Titi Adeleye (Architect, leadership expert)
Recording/Transcript: Not available
Date: 19 September 2026
This session focused on the leadership side of running an open heritage community. Iwuala Lucy, an experienced Wikimedian who has served on regional and Igbo funding committees and the Wiki Loves Monuments committee, spoke on managing people and partnerships within volunteer communities. Arc Titi Adeleye, an architect and leadership expert, added a professional leadership perspective. Together they discussed how trust and access are built and maintained within a growing community.
Flyer coming soon
Speakers: Adetola Elegbeje (Wikimedian, emergency response professional with first aid training), Dr Audu Haruna Omar (Heritage professional specializing in conflict-prone sites and emergency response)
Recording/Transcript: Not available
Date: 31 October 2026
This session addressed how open knowledge tools can support heritage protection during emergencies. Adetola Elegbeje, an experienced Wikimedian with a background in emergency response and first aid, spoke on rapid-response documentation. Dr Audu Haruna Omar, a heritage professional specializing in conflict-prone sites, covered the risks these sites face and how emergency response principles apply to heritage protection. The session closed the series' first stretch by tying open knowledge directly to real-world crisis response.
Flyer coming soon