A teacher showing some students something on a phone. Image by Kwameghana(Bright Kwame Ayisi), CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
The Africa Wiki Challenge, a unique and annual online campaign, is the brainchild of Open Foundation West Africa (OFWA). It stands out as a platform that empowers Africans and diasporans to create and expand Africa-related content on Wikipedia. This distinctive campaign is held in honour of Africa Union Day, a day that celebrates and promotes significant contributions by Africans and Africans in Africa.
The 2024 edition of the campaign, held from May 25th to June 30th, 2024, under the theme ‘Educate Africa: Nurturing Minds for the 21st Century,’ made a significant impact on Africa’s educational systems. It provided a global platform for Africa’s educational insights and knowledge, amplifying them on one of the world’s largest online knowledge platforms—Wikipedia.
The campaign began with an engaging virtual launch event on Friday, May 24th, 2024. The launch event was graced by speakers from UNESCO GHANA , Ama Serwaa Nerquaye-Tetteh (Secretary General), the University of Mines and Technology Ghana , Mr. Mohammed Yussif Umaru a lecturer and Jael Serwaa Boateng, the Executive Director of OFWA. Here are a few words from some of the speakers from the day of the launch;
“..On this day of the launch of the Africa Wiki Challenge I’d like to congratulate Open Foundation West Africa (OFWA) and all Partners who put this laudable intiative together, no wonder it keeps coming back year after” -Ama Serwaa Nerquaye-Tetteh
“… Over the past three years our campaign has brought vibrance and diverse narratives of our continent to the forefront, through themes such as Landmarks in Africa, Projection of Africa’s Culture, and the African Free Continental Trade. Each theme has been a step towards amplifying Africa’s presence and stories on one of the world’s most visited online platform Wikipedia.”- Jael Serwaa Boateng
This event was an inspirational kickoff, during which participants were briefed on the campaign’s objectives. The campaign emphasized the significance of amplifying the African voice on global platforms, especially through contributions to Wikipedia’s educational content. This event marked the start of a month-long journey dedicated to sharing knowledge and creating content around the theme.
Participants were encouraged to generate new articles, refine existing ones, and contribute media related to African education on Wikipedia and Wikimedia Commons. The contest kicked off right after the launch. The objective was to broaden African knowledge on Wikipedia, ensuring that the continent’s diverse narratives and cultures are accurately represented and easily accessible to everyone.
The challenge concluded with acknowledging exceptional contributors from the organizing groups and the OFWA community. The contest fostered collaborations with various groups, including the Wikimedia Community User Group Uganda, Ghanaian Pidgin Community, Hausa Community, Wikimedia Madagascar, Ethiopian User Group, Wikimedia Community Arusha, Wikimedia User Group Benin, Wikimedia Community of Togo, GlobalWikiEducation Initiative (Tanzania), among others, showcasing the diverse and inclusive nature of the campaign.
AWC 2024 statistics. Image by Kaffzz, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
This year’s challenge saw a significant increase in participation, culminating in 1,230 editors—a notable rise that underscores the growing enthusiasm for this campaign. These editors collectively contributed to 23,200 existing articles and created 6,830 new ones under the campaign’s theme. Contributions were made in 14 local languages across Africa, including Swahili, Hausa, Igbo, Fante, Twi, Dagbani, Frafra, Ghanaian Pidgin, Gurene, Kinyarwanda, and others.
Africa Wiki Challenge 2024 Statistics. Image by Kaffzz, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Winners
Overall Winner: User: DaSupremo from Ghana
First Runner-Up: User: Kalakpagh from Ghana
Second Runner-Up: User: Sirjat from Nigeria
Best Female Contributor: User: The-Efua-Resa
Top Uploader on Commons: User: KwameGhana(Bright Kwame Ayisi)
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