Recap: Wiki for Human Rights, LGBTIQ+ Nigeria, February and March Training

In February, Wiki for Human Rights Nigeria, LGBTIQ+, in its continued effort to strengthen advocacy and bring more queer editors and contributors into the Wikimedia project, successfully hosted a virtual training for young queer Nigerians on Wikidata. The session titled “Editing for Equity Training” covered account creation, how to start a new Wikidata item, adding statements and values, and how participants can become a part of the Wikimedia movement as queer Nigerians. The session was facilitated by Ayokanmi Oyeyemi (User: Kaizenify) and emphasized that impact is not about the volume of contributions but the intentionality behind them. Even making one or two edits weekly matters; the goal is to contribute to digitising queer realities and identities in the open-source knowledge ecosystem.

In March, we followed up with a physical training, bringing together participants from our Wikipedia at 25 physical event alongside others who had attended virtually. We recognise that, in a country like Nigeria, where stable internet access can be a challenge, virtual training is not always accessible. To address this, we partnered with The Rainbow Alive Hub Initiative, a queer organisation for the physical event, as part of our broader goal of building stronger collaborations with LGBTIQ+ organisations in the country. Through this partnership, we used their space and engaged young LGBTIQ+ individuals interested in understanding how the open knowledge system works. 

On the day of the training, most participants arrived with their laptops, while a few joined using a phone. The session covered account creation for those who did not yet have one, as well as the basics of editing on Wikipedia, including adding hyperlinks and citing sources. We also highlighted the importance of Wikipedia as an open knowledge platform that relies on verifiable information. If a statement cannot be supported by a reliable source, even if it seems accurate, it should not be added until a reputable secondary source verifies it.

Participants were also introduced to Wikidata and Wikimedia Commons, learning how to add statements and values and how to properly cite sources. By the end of the session, they had successfully joined the Wiki for Human Rights, Nigeria, LGBTIQ+ dashboard, allowing us to track their contributions and progress. While LGBTIQ+ people have been written out of Nigerian history, largely due to the limited ability of local media to publish stories about them, even when they are notable, Wiki for Human Rights Nigeria seeks to challenge this erasure. Moving forward, we are exploring collaboration with queer-friendly magazines across other African countries to increase visibility for notable LGBTIQ+ voices who deserve representation on Wikipedia.