The Wiki Naija Names Virtual Launch and Wikipedia Training

The Wiki Naija Names virtual launch took place on the 4th of October, 2024, with over 60 participants across Nigeria in attendance. Miracle James moderated the session, starting by introducing the  agenda, facilitators, and community leaders. Following this, the virtual onboarding provided participants with a clear guide on navigating the campaign event page, timelines, and upcoming training sessions. The day 2 of the campaign training session focused on introduction to Wikipedia and performing edits, which aimed at helping participants create or improve articles about indigenous Nigerian names on the platform.

Project Overview and Guidelines

After the introductions, the moderator provided a comprehensive walkthrough of the project’s meta page, drawing attention to essential information that participants needed to familiarise themselves with. This set the stage for an in-depth explanation of the project guidelines, with special focus on the core objectives of the Wiki Naija Names initiative, which seeks to increase the visibility of indigenous Nigerian names on Wikipedia.

Next, Barakah Adegboye, the project lead, took the floor. She shared valuable insights into the curated topic list and led a practical training session on how to effectively contribute to Wikipedia. Participants were guided through key processes, including how to navigate Wikipedia, create new articles, and utilise its various features, ensuring they understood how to contribute meaningfully to the campaign.

Interactive Session

Once the topic list and contribution process had been thoroughly explained, the session transitioned into a lively interactive Q&A segment. Participants were encouraged to ask questions, all of which were addressed in detail to ensure a thorough understanding of the tasks ahead. Participants were then informed about the follow-up virtual training scheduled for the next day, where they would dive deeper into the process of contributing to Wikipedia.

Day 2: Wikipedia Training

On the Day 2 of the session, a recap of the virtual onboarding and key activities to be carried out during this campaign was provided by Miracle, along with a link to the recording in order to ensure all participants can be at the same pace. Barakah Adegboye led the second day’s training, focusing on the technical aspects of contributing to Wikipedia. The session covered a range of crucial topics, including:

• Creating an Infobox: Participants learned how to effectively structure biographical and article-related data using infobox templates, ensuring articles are informative and visually appealing.  Adding Wikilinks: The training emphasised the importance of linking articles within Wikipedia to create a well-connected and informative web of content.
• Adding Citations: Proper citation techniques were explained to ensure all information added to Wikipedia is verifiable and properly sourced. A short training video was also shared with participants to guide them further. A short training video was also shared with participants to guide them further.
• Uploading Media Files: Participants were shown how to upload relevant media files, such as images, and link them to articles.
• General Article Creation: A step-by-step guide was provided on creating well-structured Wikipedia articles from scratch, ensuring adherence to Wikipedia’s content policies and standards.
• Configuring Editing Tools: The session also covered how to set up and use Wikipedia’s editing tools for a smooth and efficient contribution experience. A short training video was also shared to further guide participants 

By the end of the training, participants were equipped with the necessary skills to begin contributing to Wikipedia, specifically in adding indigenous Nigerian names, thereby advancing the goals of the Wiki Naija Names campaign.

Review Process and Conclusion

After the training session, Blessing Linason, the designated reviewer, provided an in-depth explanation of the review process. She outlined the specific guidelines and criteria that will be used to evaluate participants’ contributions, ensuring transparency and clarity. Participants were once again given the opportunity to ask questions, which were addressed in a timely and comprehensive manner, further enhancing their understanding of the expectations.

With these final steps, the Wikipedia training and virtual launch for the Wiki Naija Names project came to a successful close, marking the beginning of an exciting journey to improve visibility for indigenous Nigerian names on Wikipedia.

For those who would like to revisit the virtual session, you can access the training and schedule page [on Google Drive]. Additionally, if you haven’t already, you can join the campaign by signing up [on Meta-wiki]. To ensure you stay updated with all campaign developments, we highly encourage you to join our WhatsApp group for real-time updates and community discussions.