Wiki for Human Rights Nigeria: TransVisibility In-Person Capacity Building for Trans Persons and Virtual Dashboard Training

On 30 November 2025, Wiki for Human Rights Nigeria, in collaboration with the Improved Sexual Health and Rights Advocacy Initiative (ISHRAI), held a physical event in Lagos, Nigeria, to celebrate trans visibility with trans and non-binary individuals. The event brought together ten trans and non-binary participants living in Lagos and Ogun State to familiarise themselves with how Wikipedia works, particularly Wikipedia, Commons, and Wikidata, and to become part of the growing online encyclopedia. This aim was to improve trans-related articles on the wiki, contribute data to Wikidata, and support participants in successfully contributing images to the platform.

The event was held at the physical office space provided by ISHRAI. It was organised by the Wiki for Human Rights Nigeria community manager, Obinna Tony, who led planning, issued a call for trans and non-binary people to participate, and outlined the requirements for the event’s success. Seasoned wiki contributor Ayokanmi Oyeyemi (Kaizenify), who is also a programme officer for the Wikimedia Nigeria user group, facilitated the training. 

Challenges and What They Learned…

Participants demonstrated a strong willingness to learn as the facilitator guided them through an overview of Wikimedia and its various affiliates, introducing them to all wiki projects, with a primary focus on Wikipedia, Commons, and Wikidata. The goal was to help them understand how to contribute to trans-related articles and identities, particularly those similar to their own. Throughout the session, they demonstrated genuine commitment to learning.

Due to the limited availability of source information on trans people in Nigeria for creating wiki profiles, the facilitator focused on how participants could create Wikidata profiles on trans individuals and activists. The best contributors received small gifts. They learnt how Wikidata works, how to create values and statements, and what qualifies as a reliable source. The facilitator also reiterated the opportunities Wikimedia offers and how participants can leverage them. He emphasised that one does not necessarily need to be a writer to be a wiki editor. With the right information and sources, anyone can edit Wikipedia. As a queer person, I have seen many articles come into existence due to the gradual contributions of LGBTIQ+ editors who have been making small edits. It doesn’t matter how many words you contribute. You can add fifty to a hundred words at a time, and if twenty other people do the same in their spare time, that becomes one to two thousand words, which is enough to build a solid article.

The session then moved on to how they could also create a Wikipedia article, similar to Wikidata, by first checking whether the page already exists. This was followed by a practical exercise, during which we successfully created an article about a trans South African. The facilitator reiterated the importance of creating an entry regardless of how much information you have, as it allows others to add more when they come across it. What matters is taking the first step toward creating it; once the page exists, others can improve it, helping to keep important conversations going.

The session concluded with everyone creating a Wikidata entry, learning how to upload an image, and understanding the importance of using only images they made or were given permission to use, not just any image on Wikimedia Commons. Contribution to Wikimedia Commons can be as simple as taking photographs or obtaining licenses from individuals that allow them to create a Commons page and then use the images on Wikipedia. The facilitators also reflected on why there are a few trans profiles and identities on Wikipedia, noting the limited sources available to reference them. 

Goals…

This event forms part of the Wiki for Human Rights Nigeria’s ongoing effort to involve more queer editors in the Wikimedia experience. We have created a dashboard to monitor their progress and track their activities across Wikimedia affiliates, regardless of the work they are doing. We also plan to organise more training.

For a long time, LGBTIQ+ Nigerians have not understood how Wikipedia works or how they can contribute factually, take ownership of their identities, and see how LGBTIQ+ articles, especially trans articles, are protected against misgendering and hate speech. We ensured they understood that Wikimedia, with its wide readership, is also a platform they can leverage for much of their activism.

Dashboard training

On 14 December, we organised a Wiki Dashboard Training to equip these individuals, as well as members of our wider Wiki Nigeria LGBT+ community, with an understanding of how the feature works. We observed that many editors and contributors struggle to join the Wiki Dashboard. This marked our first virtual training as we move towards organising sessions every month (both physical and virtual).

The training served as a refresher on how Wiki projects function, and about 16 people registered for and attended the session. The monthly trainings will help participants stay up to date and understand the importance of contributing to Wiki projects regularly, regardless of the size of the contribution. Participants joined the Wiki Nigeria LGBT+ Community Dashboard using a link shared by the facilitator, Ayokanmi Kaizen.

So far, the community dashboard has grown to eight editors, added more than 46,000 words, and recorded more than 330,000 article views.