Making Nigerian Knowledge Free and Accessible
Wikimedia User Group Nigeria (registered as Wikimedia Nigeria Foundation) is the officially recognized affiliate of the Wikimedia Foundation in Nigeria.
We are an independent, community-driven non-profit committed to bridging the digital knowledge divide by documenting Nigeria’s diverse languages, cultural monuments, historical figures, and contemporary achievements on Wikipedia, Wikidata, and Wikimedia Commons.
Our Core Ideals
Wikimedia Nigeria is committed to the ideal of a world in which every single human being can freely share in the sum of all knowledge. We believe that free access to knowledge is a fundamental right.
Our mission is to support and promote free access to knowledge, work with volunteers across the country, and partner with governmental and non-governmental organizations, as well as cultural and educational sectors and other mission-aligned groups to make knowledge freely accessible.
Authenticity & Neutrality
We uphold the core Wikimedia principle of Neutral Point of View (NPOV), ensuring all documented content is backed by reliable, verifiable citations.
Radical Inclusion
From indigenous language preservation in Yoruba, Hausa, and Igbo to closing the gender gap, we make free knowledge welcoming to all Nigerians.
Capacity & Empowerment
We train students, educators, librarians, and researchers in digital research and open-source licensing to become global knowledge creators.
Relationship with Other Groups & Affiliates
The Wikimedia User Group Nigeria maintains deep, fraternal relationships with all movement affiliates whose scope intersects with our mission—especially the other three language-focused user groups in Nigeria. As a pioneer, more established organization in the region, we actively provide structural guidance, training facilitation, and strategic support across Nigeria and the wider African continent.
Yoruba Wikimedians User Group Collaboration
In February 2020, the Yoruba Wikimedians User Group invited the Wikimedia User Group Nigeria to co-facilitate and support their follow-up training for Yoruba language students at the Adeniran Ogunsanya College of Education (AOCOED), Otto/Ijanikin.
The Chair and Secretary of Wikimedia User Group Nigeria participated directly on-site to deliver hands-on training in mother-tongue translation, neutral citations, and article structuring.
Hausa Wikimedians Northern Nigeria Outreach
In 2018, the Hausa Wikimedians User Group invited Wikimedia User Group Nigeria to partner and help facilitate their comprehensive outreach drive across Northern Nigeria.
The flagship workshop in Kano was supported and facilitated in person by the Chair of Wikimedia User Group Nigeria, catalyzing local community growth and empowering indigenous Hausa language contributors.
Igbo Wikimedians & WikiGap Campaigns
The landmark WikiGap Nigeria 2018, 2019, and 2020 editions were organized in close programmatic collaboration with the Igbo Wikimedians User Group, closing the gender representation divide and creating biographies of notable Nigerian women.
In April 2020, our groups joined forces on the Visibility Project, in partnership with African Women in Media (AWiM) and sponsored by UNESCO. Uzoma Ozurumba, Co-founder of the Igbo Wikimedians User Group, served as a key facilitator and active mentor.
Pan-African Alliances & Decolonizing the Internet
On the UNESCO Visibility Project, we collaborated closely with the Wikimedia Community User Group Tanzania and the Wikimedia Community User Group Uganda, fostering inter-regional cooperation across East and West Africa.
Furthermore, Wikimedia User Group Nigeria, Yoruba Wikimedians, Igbo Wikimedians, and Hausa Wikimedians worked in unified synergy on the Decolonizing the Internet project organized by the Goethe-Institut, reclaiming indigenous digital narratives.
AfroCROWD & Oregon State University Collaboration
Wikimedia User Group Nigeria joined forces with AfroCROWD, Oregon State University (USA), and the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB) to host an intensive 2-day edit-a-thon celebrating Black history, heritage, and scientific leadership.
Diversity of Activities & Collective Impact
In the last four years, the Wikimedia User Group Nigeria has organized or been directly involved in organizing a comprehensive spectrum of pragmatic, high-impact programs, edit-a-thons, and public campaigns across the nation.
These initiatives have dramatically strengthened the Wikimedia movement in Nigeria: catalyzing the emergence and establishment of specialized language-focused user groups, substantially expanding national Wikipedia readership, and multiplying the number of unique active volunteer contributors who champion free knowledge daily.
Key Ecosystem Outcomes:
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Incubation of Language User Groups Directly supported the formation and accreditation of Yoruba, Hausa, and Igbo user groups.
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Surge in Active Contributors Trained thousands of university students, researchers, and citizen historians in verified editing.
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National Readership Growth Increased local language Wikipedia consumption and improved coverage of Nigerian topics globally.