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
| SN | Name(s) | Designation | Role(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Olaniyan Olushola | Chair, Wikimedia Nigeria Foundation Inc. | Project manager & volunteers coordinator |
| 2 | Katja Katja Kellerer | Leitung Information und Bibliothek | Co-project manager (Administrative) |
| 3 | Sam Oyeyele | Outreach coordinator, Wikimedia Nigeria Foundation Inc. | Community liaison, English Wikipedia Community |
| 4 | Precious Tochi | Co-founder, Igbo Wikimedians User Group | Community liaison, Igbo Wikipedia Community |
| 5 | Ammar | Co-Founder, Hausa Wikimedians User Group. | Community liaison, Hausa Wikipedia Community |
| 6 | Dansu Peter Zuntepo | Co-Founder, Yoruba Wikimedians User Group. | Community liaison, Yoruba Wikipedia Community |
| 7 | Ms. Olayinka Maja | Interim community liaison, Wikimedia Nigeria Foundation Inc. | Co-manager, Social media campaign |
| 8 | Ayokanmi Oyeyemi | Head of photography, Wikimedia Nigeria Foundation | Database Manager |
| 9 | Isaac Olatunde | Secretary, Wikimedia Nigeria Foundation Inc. | Juror (Yoruba Wikipedia) |
| 10 | Oby Ezeilo | Co-Founder, Igbo Wikimedians User Group | Juror (Igbo) |
| 11 | M. M ALiu | Co-founder, Hausa Wikimedians User Group | Juror (Hausa Wikipedia) |
| 12 | Omolayo Ogunsiji | Executive director, Wikimedia Nigeria Foundation Inc. | Jury coordinator |
| 13 | Medi Ashioma | Coordinator, Wikimedia Fan Club, Ekiti | Juror (English Wikipedia) |
| 14 | Marvellous Osuolale | Former President, Wikimedia Fan Club, Lagos State University | Juror (English Wikipedia) |
Our specific goals for the project are to:
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.
| 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 |
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:
Moderated by Yinka Maja and managed by Olaniyan Olushola.
Future projects will prioritize clear communication. We’ll ensure timely publication of key information on the project page and stronger internal coordination among partners.
