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Decolonise the Internet

Decolonise the Internet

The Decolonise the Internet is a gender-focus initiative in partnership with the Goethe Institut to promote the participation of women in bridging the content gap about women on the internet and to increase the quality of women-related contents on Wikipedia. "During its inception, the internet was seen as a vital instrument for democracy and equality. In 2020, amidst a global pandemic and racial inequalities that are very much still alive, it is time to ask: Whose stories are told and who is telling these stories on the internet? And how do Artificial Intelligence, Algorithms and Bots shape our view of the world and perpetuate racisms? This is where the new Goethe-Institut project “Decolonise The Internet” sees its core.

The Goethe-Institut’s “Decolonise the Internet” focuses on bridging the unequal representation of voices from the Global South on the internet and aims to increase awareness on how AI and algorithms might perpetuate racisms".[1]

The project facilitated by the Goethe Institut, Wikimedia Nigeria Foundation Inc. in collaboration with the Yoruba Wikimedians User Group, Igbo Wikimedians User Group & Hausa Wikimedians User Group started on the 5th of September 2020. More than 100 females were trained on how to contribute to Wikipedia. The logistics supports were provided by the Goethe Institut. This was followed by a contest that resulted in the creation of over 1,500+ articles in English, Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba language

Organizing Team and Facilitators

SN Name(s) Designation Role(s)
1Olaniyan OlusholaChair, Wikimedia Nigeria Foundation Inc.Project manager & volunteers coordinator
2Katja Katja KellererLeitung Information und BibliothekCo-project manager (Administrative)
3Sam OyeyeleOutreach coordinator, Wikimedia Nigeria Foundation Inc.Community liaison, English Wikipedia Community
4Precious TochiCo-founder, Igbo Wikimedians User GroupCommunity liaison, Igbo Wikipedia Community
5AmmarCo-Founder, Hausa Wikimedians User Group.Community liaison, Hausa Wikipedia Community
6Dansu Peter ZuntepoCo-Founder, Yoruba Wikimedians User Group.Community liaison, Yoruba Wikipedia Community
7Ms. Olayinka MajaInterim community liaison, Wikimedia Nigeria Foundation Inc.Co-manager, Social media campaign
8Ayokanmi OyeyemiHead of photography, Wikimedia Nigeria FoundationDatabase Manager
9Isaac OlatundeSecretary, Wikimedia Nigeria Foundation Inc.Juror (Yoruba Wikipedia)
10Oby EzeiloCo-Founder, Igbo Wikimedians User GroupJuror (Igbo)
11M. M ALiuCo-founder, Hausa Wikimedians User GroupJuror (Hausa Wikipedia)
12Omolayo OgunsijiExecutive director, Wikimedia Nigeria Foundation Inc.Jury coordinator
13Medi AshiomaCoordinator, Wikimedia Fan Club, EkitiJuror (English Wikipedia)
14Marvellous OsuolaleFormer President, Wikimedia Fan Club, Lagos State UniversityJuror (English Wikipedia)

Project Goal and Measures of Success

Project Goal

Our specific goals for the project are to:

  • Improve the feasibility of Nigerian women
  • Bridge the gender gap on the internet and Wikipedia
  • Build capacity for sustained engagement
  • Recruit female editors for Wikipedia

Secondary Goals

Expanded Project Goals

In addition to the core goals outlined earlier, we aimed to build long-term networking, relationships, and partnering opportunities with aligned organizations.

We believe we achieved our project goals through reflective evaluation during and after implementation, complemented by feedback from participants, facilitators, and partner institutions.

General Overview of Activities

Area Task (Summarized) End Outcome
Project Management Project design, action plan, timeline, and milestones Complied
Strategic and Wikimedia movement alignment evaluation
Budget and actual cost overview
Feasibility assessment & contingency plans
Milestone tracking and delivery
Volunteers Management Volunteers recruitment Complied
Communication and engagement
Retention strategy
Tracking and recognition
Training Management Moderation strategy and training delivery Complied
Training material development
Platform setup (Zoom Pro)
Logistics and resource allocation
Participant communication and reminders
Content uploading and access
Tracking learner performance
Communication Management Meta page creation and maintenance Complied
Email updates and information sharing
Setup of communication platforms
Stakeholder and participant support

Training Sessions

Participants were trained by experienced Wikipedia editors from Nigeria. At least five (5) training sessions were conducted between 28th September 2020 and 27th October 2020, covering the following topics:

  • Copyrights & Free License(s): Facilitated by User:Samatics & Isaac Olatunde, an experienced license reviewer at Wikimedia Commons
  • Cheat Sheet of Wikipedia Editing: Facilitated by User:Jamie Tubers, a seasoned English Wikipedia editor
  • Basic Wikipedia Editing & How to Cite a Wikipedia Article: Facilitated by User:Uzoma Ozurumba from the Igbo Wikimedia Community
  • Work-Flow of Creating a Wikipedia Page: Facilitated by Ayokanmi Oyeyemi, regional ambassador of the 1Lib1Ref project
  • Translation to Local Language Wikipedia: Facilitated by User:Macdanpets & User:Olaniyan Olushola

Moderated by Yinka Maja and managed by Olaniyan Olushola.

Learning

What Worked Well

  1. Diversity of participants and trainers: Over 300 people applied; 70% of selected participants were women from diverse language communities. This fostered networking and made the sessions dynamic.
  2. Diversity of trainers: Selected from Nigeria's English, Yoruba, Hausa & Igbo communities. Trainers were experienced, multilingual, and culturally relevant.
  3. WhatsApp group coordination: Provided a cost-effective, accessible, and real-time support platform for trainers and participants.

What Did Not Work So Well

  1. Internet connection: Connectivity was a challenge, though using two different network providers mitigated it slightly.
  2. Communication: Despite a strong history of collaboration with Goethe-Institut, miscommunication affected certain aspects—particularly around contest judging criteria and the social media campaign. Thanks to Katja’s adaptability, resolution was achieved.

What We Plan to Improve

Future projects will prioritize clear communication. We’ll ensure timely publication of key information on the project page and stronger internal coordination among partners.