The Wikimedia Nigeria LGBT+ Community, a community managed by the Wiki for Human Rights Nigeria (W4HR Nigeria) has reached a historic milestone with the appointment of Obinna Tony-Francis Ochem as its first-ever Community Manager. This marks the first paid staff position within the informal Wikimedia group and community, signalling a new phase of growth, sustainability, and deeper impact for LGBT+ knowledge equity work within the Wikimedia movement in Nigeria and across Africa.
This appointment reflects years of grassroots organising, volunteer-led advocacy, and persistent efforts to close content gaps around LGBT+ histories, cultures, and human rights on Wikimedia platforms.
Building a Movement: Wiki for Human Rights Nigeria
Wiki for Human Rights Nigeria is an informal Wikimedia group established in 2021 with a clear mission: to bridge the gap in coverage of LGBT+ topics in Nigeria, and by extension, across Africa. Operating within a challenging social and legal environment, the group has remained committed to creating safe, inclusive, and empowering spaces for queer people to contribute to free knowledge.
Since its inception, the community has:
- Organised over 30 programmes, including edit-a-thons, workshops, trainings, and community conversations
- Trained more than 200 queer persons on Wikimedia editing, digital literacy, and storytelling
- Coordinated three thematic campaigns annually, addressing issues such as human rights, visibility, and representation.
- Created and improved over 500 LGBT+ articles.
- Partnered with over 10 LGBT+ organizations.
Through these sustained efforts, the Wikimedia Nigeria LGBT+ Community has grown into a thriving and active network of contributors, organisers, and allies. This steady growth underscored the need for dedicated coordination and long-term community management making the appointment of a staff member both timely and necessary.
A First Historic Appointment
Obinna Tony-Francis Ochem’s appointment represents a landmark moment as he becomes the first historic staff member of the Wikimedia Nigeria LGBT+ Community. His role as Community Manager is expected to strengthen programme delivery, support contributors, document impact, and further position the community within the broader Wikimedia and human rights ecosystems.
Obinna officially assumed the role in November 2025, with a clear mandate to take the community’s work even further, deepening engagement, expanding partnerships, and nurturing the next generation of queer Wikimedians in Nigeria.
Obinna’s journey into the Wikimedia movement began in June 2025 during the Wiki Loves Pride in-person training in Lagos, Nigeria, organised as part of the Wiki Loves Pride celebrations in collaboration with the Goethe-Institut. What started as an introduction quickly grew into sustained participation, as Tony took a keen interest in Wikimedia projects and began contributing actively.
Professionally, Tony Obinna is a freelance writer, journalist/reporter, human rights researcher, and academic writer. His work navigates critical themes including gender, class, sexuality, climate change, and speculative fiction as cultural commentary. This interdisciplinary background uniquely positions him to understand both the technical and human dimensions of Wikimedia community building.
A Competitive and Rigorous Selection Process
The call for applications for the Community Manager role was announced in October 2025 and attracted over 20 applications from diverse and qualified candidates. Following a rigorous shortlisting and interview process, Tony Obinna emerged as the successful candidate due to the strength, clarity, and vision demonstrated in his application and interviews.
His selection reflects both his professional experience and his alignment with the values, goals, and future direction of the Wikimedia Nigeria LGBT+ Community.
Looking Ahead
With Tony Obinna stepping into this pioneering role, the Wikimedia Nigeria LGBT+ Community enters a new chapter, one focused on consolidation, sustainability, and strategic growth. His appointment is not just about professionalisation, but about reaffirming the community’s commitment to visibility, representation, and the right of queer people to tell their own stories through free knowledge platforms.
As Wiki for Human Rights Nigeria continues to evolve, this milestone serves as a reminder of what community-driven organising can achieve and what becomes possible when volunteers are supported by intentional structures and leadership.
We look forward to the journey ahead.
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