Wikidata 13th Birthday in Northern Nigeria

Abou the program

As Wikidata marked its 13th birthday, communities across the world came together to celebrate the growth of the world’s largest open knowledge graph. In Northern Nigeria, this celebration became more than a birthday event it became a coordinated movement to expand structured data skills, build new contributor communities, and highlight voices from a region that is often underrepresented in global knowledge spaces.The Wikidata 13th Birthday Celebration in Northern Nigeria was organized in three states Kano, Gombe, and Benue each led by dedicated community organizers committed to strengthening Wikimedia participation in their regions.

Three States, One Vision: Open Knowledge for All

Kano: Training the Next Generation of Data Contributors

In Kano, the event was hosted by Hadaka Open Learning Network, led by Abubakar Ali (User:Gwanki). Participants learned the foundations of Wikidata items, properties, labels, data modeling, and referencing with a strong focus on improving Hausa language content and Nigeria-related entries.The Kano program attracted new members, boosted awareness of Wikidata, and demonstrated how structured data can help preserve and share local knowledge with the world.

Gombe: Building Skills in the North-East

In Gombe, the celebration was led by Yusuf Gombe (User:Umabruka).The training introduced contributors to the purpose of Wikidata, hands-on item creation, and the Wikidata Query Service. Many participants were contributing for the first time, discovering how open data contributes to global access to information.This event helped establish a stronger Wikimedia presence in the North-East region.

Benue: Expanding to the North-Central Region

In Benue, the celebration was coordinated by Meritkosy (User:Meritkosy).The program focused on onboarding new editors, strengthening understanding of structured data, and improving Nigeria-related items on Wikidata.The Benue team successfully built momentum for what may become a new and active Wikidata community hub in the North-Central region.

Connecting Northern Nigerian Communities Through Data

Across all three states, the project achieved;

• Greater awareness of Wikidata as a tool for open, structured knowledge
• New contributors trained across three regions
• Strengthened local Wikimedia groups
• A growing interest in representing Northern Nigerian culture, people, and history on Wikidata
• Increased collaboration between organizers and communities

What began as a birthday celebration quickly grew into a powerful learning and empowerment effort across the regions.

Wikimedia Commons Event’s Category