WikiForHumanRights 2025 in Nigeria: Our Rights, Our Future, Right Now

Beginning of the Campaign: A Virtual Launch Uniting Nigeria’s Wikimedia Communities for the Wikiforhumanrights 2025 Campaign

The WikiForHumanRights 2025 campaign in Nigeria began with a national virtual launch that brought together editors from different Wikimedia communities across the country. For the second year running, the campaign united seven Wikimedia communities, reflecting Nigeria’s regional and linguistic diversity, from Yoruba-speaking communities to Igbo, Hausa, and Igala-speaking communities across the South-West, South-East, South-South, North-West, North-East, and North Central regions. The launch set the tone for a collaborative national effort focused on the theme Our Rights, Our Future, Right Now. Organizers outlined a shared vision to document the Right to a Healthy Environment, emphasizing how environmental challenges in Nigeria are directly connected to health, livelihood, housing, and food security.

During the launch, Associate Professor at the University of Lagos, Dr. Rose Alani, who was a special guest, highlighted the urgent need for documentation and advocacy in the face of Nigeria’s environmental challenges. She noted that while the country faces widespread environmental degradation, efforts to document these issues remain limited.

According to her, proper documentation is a critical first step toward raising awareness and inspiring social change.

“In Nigeria, the environment has borne the high costs of extraction, neglect, and injustice. Issues such as oil spills, illegal mining, plastic waste, desertification, air pollution, and indiscriminate dumping of hazardous materials are not isolated incidents. They represent a pattern of environmental injustice that directly affects human rights,” she said.

Dr. Alani added that Wikipedia plays a powerful role in shaping how global audiences understand local struggles. By documenting Nigeria’s environmental challenges on a widely accessed platform like Wikipedia, communities are ensuring visibility, representation, and sustained advocacy for environmental justice and equitable access to human rights.

The President of the Wikipedia Nigeria User Group, Mr. Olushola Olaniyan, was also a special guest during the launch, he emphasized the role of the media and open knowledge platforms in driving change. He stated that by supporting Wikipedia’s free learning ecosystem, more Nigerians can be empowered to lead environmentally conscious initiatives within their communities.

Euphemia Uwandu, a program officer at the Wikimedia Foundation was present at the virtual event and she highlighted the purpose of the program, its main goals and the objectives of what the campaign entails, Ruby D-Brown who is the Wikiforhumanright 2025 regional coordinator for Africa was present and she spoke extensively about the program in Africa and how Africans have contributed immensely to the success of the program since its inception.

Editors were equipped with clear campaign goals, timelines, and content priorities across Wikipedia, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons, and Wikivoyage, where the climate section was added to articles. This year, translation was added, and many articles were translated into Hausa, Igbo, Igala, and Yoruba.

This collective approach reinforced the mission of the Wikimedia Foundation to support free, inclusive, and locally grounded knowledge, while aligning with the global WikiForHumanRights initiative supported by the Wikimedia Foundation.

Campaign Focus: From Global Theme to Local Realities

The 2025 theme moved the campaign beyond abstract discussions of human rights. In Nigeria, rights are inseparable from land, water, air, and the environment people depend on daily. The campaign’s primary objective was to bridge the gap between local environmental crises and global knowledge equity, ensuring that lived experiences in Nigerian communities are visible on Wikimedia platforms. Editors focused on seven regions, each facing distinct environmental and human rights challenges. Through structured training, editathons, and peer learning sessions, contributors strengthened their skills in research, sourcing, translation, and how to write and contribute to Wikipedia and its sister projects. This year, the translation drive was activated.

Community Stories: Local Voices, Shared Impact

Anambra State by Dr. Ngozi: Editors in Anambra documented the human rights implications of severe gully erosion, flooding, and land degradation. Contributions highlighted how environmental destruction threatens the right to housing, food security, and safe livelihoods, displacing families and reducing access to arable land.

The Anambra Network of Wikimedia User Group Nigeria had one physical event and three online sessions. The campaign was led by Ngozi Perpetua Osuchukwu. The series of training was facilitated by Ngozi Perpetua Osuchukwu, Goodluck Ajunwa, and Peace Chinwendu Anyanwu. The participants were trained, and they contributed to Wikipedia, Wikidata, and Wikivoyage. They also translated English articles to Igbo language. The physical event took place at Book Foundation, Awka, with 21 participants in attendance. We partnered with Justice Developments and Peace Commission (JDPC), Onitsha, and Green Growth Africa. The participants built their capacities in digital literacy. 

Wikimedia Gombe Network By Atiba: In Gombe, the focus was on desertification and drought, examining how climate pressures are shrinking farmland and increasing food insecurity. Contributors linked environmental stress to broader socioeconomic vulnerabilities affecting rural communities.

Led by Ismail Atiba with support from Umar Faruk, the campaign combined hands-on training and coordinated editing activities that supported both new and experienced editors. Participants worked on Wikipedia, Wikidata, and Wikimedia Commons, contributing content that reflects the lived realities of communities affected by flooding, erosion, environmental pollution, and resource pressure in Gombe and beyond.

While the campaign achieved meaningful content outputs, it also surfaced important lessons around coordination, communication, and role clarity. These reflections are now shaping how the community approaches planning, mentorship, and collaboration in future initiatives.

Osun State by Adetoro Praise: In Osun, editors explored the impact of illegal mining and land degradation, highlighting how unchecked extraction damages ecosystems and disrupts community life. Contributions emphasized the connection between environmental harm and weakened access to basic rights. The Campaign was led by Praise Adetoro with support from Ajeigbe Rukayat. We had one physical event and three online sessions. The participants were trained, and they contributed to Wikipedia, Wikidata, and Wikimedia Commons. They also translated English articles to Yoruba language.

The physical event took place at Obafemi Awolowo University with 21 participants in attendance. We partnered with the Student Union and the Institute of Ecology. 

The Campaign exposed and empowered participants with the right skills and knowledge to contribute to their rights. It also provided a platform to advocate for the sustainability of their various environment. 

Over 30 members were impacted and challenged to stand up for their human rights and put in the effort to advocate for them. They all looked forward to having more of this campaign. 

Likewise, Obafemi Awolowo University recognized this amazing initiative and has added this project to their curricula and made it more remarkable by inviting professionals and researchers to the next project. 

Kaduna State By Ramatu A Haliru: Kaduna contributors focused on land disputes and resource scarcity, documenting how competition over land and water often escalates into broader human rights challenges, including displacement and livelihood loss.

This Campaign was led by the WUGN Kaduna Network community. We engaged in activities that concern general awareness and understanding of Human rights among the Kaduna community, and three papers were presented for the understanding. However, we had one physical meet -up and three online sessions, which we concentrated on leadership, mentorship, and hands-on training on Wikipedia, wikidata and Wikimedia Commons. Articles were translated into Hausa, wikidata items about hospitals, and the health environment were all created, and images regarding these were also uploaded. Finally, the campaign improved the skills, knowledge, and understanding of our participants concerning Human Rights.

Igala Community by Henry Ojonugwa: The Igala Wikimedia community prioritized language inclusion, translating key environmental and human rights content into Igala. This ensured that local communities could access information in the language they use daily, strengthening participation and ownership of knowledge.

When the WikiForHuman Rights campaign arrived in the Igala Community, it felt like more than an event it felt like a shared mission. Editors, learners, and first-time contributors gathered with one clear goal: to make human rights knowledge accessible in the Igala language. The campaign began with one vibrant in-person session, where participants met face-to-face, asked questions, learned together, and discovered the power of contributing to Wikimedia projects. The room was filled with curiosity, teamwork, and a strong sense of purpose.

To keep the momentum going, the community held three engaging online sessions, making it possible for more Igala speakers to join from different locations. During these sessions, participants worked collectively to translate human rights-related articles from English Wikipedia to Igala Wikipedia.

Beyond Wikipedia, the campaign expanded its impact across other Wikimedia platforms. Contributors added structured data to Wikidata, uploaded photos and media related to human rights to Wikimedia Commons, and enriched Wikivoyage with relevant content that highlighted places and stories connected to human rights in the region.

By the end of the campaign, the Igala Community had not only created content but had also strengthened voices, built skills, and reaffirmed the belief that access to knowledge is itself a human right. The WikiForHuman Rights campaign left behind more than edits; it left a growing community committed to sharing knowledge, preserving language, and standing up for human rights through open collaboration.

Imo Community by Emmanuel Obiajulu: In Imo State, the campaign documented environmental pollution from crude oil refining, deforestation, and poor waste management in Imo State – Highlight the human rights impact of these issues, including pollution-related health problems and lack of access to clean air and water. Empower affected communities through knowledge sharing and collaboration

The Imo State Network organised and implemented a series of activities and training during the 2025 WikiforHumanRight campaign. These events helped equip participants with the necessary skills to contribute effectively to the campaign. We were able to organise three major training sessions on editing Wikipedia, wiki common upload, creating Wikidata items, and description translation.

At the end, we had 23 editors who were able to achieve the following result. 1.65k total edits; 388 articles created, 1.31k articles edited, 545 common uploads, and 528 words added. The approach we used to maximize the impact of our achievement centered on a high engagement strategy. We implored continuous capacity building, performance based reward system, and constant technical support to participants. To maintain high morale and consistent contributions, our network introduced a reward system for the weekly highest contributors. 

This approach addressed the common challenge of volunteer burnout as it acknowledged individual excellence. Each week, participants who had the most edits were publicly recognized and rewarded with incentives, such as data stipends. This created a healthy competition that helped increase the volume of contributions during the campaign.

At the end, I can confidently say that the campaign successfully elevated the visibility and improved local content within the global Wikimedia ecosystem

Rivers Community by Dr. Jeremiah Ugwulebo: Dr. Jeremiah Ugwulebo and Nubel Bariloe Benjamin championed the campaign in Rivers State. In Rivers State, our focus was on environmental injustice, highlighting how oil spills, gas flaring, toxic waste, and damaged waterways affect health, clean water access, and the livelihoods of fishing communities. Contributors linked these environmental hazards to broader human rights and socio-economic challenges across the Niger Delta.

The campaign had both online and hybrid training, hands-on editing, and strong mentorship for both new and experienced editors. Participants contributed across Wikipedia, Wikidata, and Wikimedia Commons, creating and improving content that reflects real human rights experiences in Rivers State and beyond.

The campaign produced meaningful contributions and built editor confidence. It also highlighted lessons around coordination, connectivity, and onboarding new contributors. These insights are now guiding how the community plans mentorship, collaboration, and future human rights–focused Wikimedia activities.

Reflection and Learning: The December 19th Campaign Review session

As the campaign concluded, organizers and volunteers from across Nigeria gathered virtually on December 19th for a final review session which was led by the project coordinator Rukayat Ajeigbe, The session provided space to reflect on how effectively the campaign documented the Right to a Healthy Environment and to assess lessons learned from the campaign, National coordinators Kemi Makinde and Agnes Abah, opened the session by sharing their experiences both the good and the bad and what they can do better, the review session also welcomed the contributions of Euphemia Uwandu, Program Officer for Campaign Programs at the Wikimedia Foundation. Euphemia, who also serves as the Coordinator and general overseer of the WikiForHumanRights Campaigns, set the tone by providing a brief introduction to the campaign, highlighting its aims, objectives, and goals, and encouraging participants to contribute and, also gave a candid observation about the campaign and how glad she is to see that this year editors were allowed to share the views about the campaign and how we can learn from the campaign moving forward. The Community leads also shared their experiences and learnings in leading the campaign, so trainers and reviewers were able to share their reviews. The session encouraged editors to share their learnings and their takeaways from the overall experience.

Achievements: By the Numbers

The 2025 campaign recorded strong growth in both participation and content output through the localized training and community-driven coordination.

Community engagement
Over 300 contributors, including new and returning editors, participated across the seven regional networks.

Content creation
More than 400 Wikipedia articles were created or improved, alongside over 500 Wikidata items created, documenting environmental and human rights topics.

Language diversity
To advance knowledge equity, content was translated into Igbo, Yoruba, Hausa, and Igala, making human rights information accessible in the languages people speak at home.

Visual documentation
High-quality media files were uploaded to Wikimedia Commons, visually documenting erosion sites, pollution, environmental damage, and local sustainability efforts.

The Journey So Far and What Next

WikiForHumanRights 2025 in Nigeria demonstrated the power of coordinated community action in documenting environmental injustice and human rights. By centering local voices, languages, and lived experiences, Nigerian Wikimedia communities contributed knowledge that resonates far beyond national borders.

Looking ahead, the journey continues with a focus on sustaining editor engagement, expanding language-based contributions, deepening partnerships with mission-aligned civil society organisations and academic institutions, and strengthening year-round documentation of human rights and environmental sustainability.

Through these efforts, Nigerian communities remain committed to ensuring that free knowledge reflects the realities of people’s lives today and for the future.