User:T Cells/Conference report
General overview
[edit]Scope
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The WikiConference Nigeria 2024 took place in Abuja, Nigeria, from 12–14 September 2024. This conference was hosted and organized by the Wikimedia User Group Nigeria in collaboration with established Wikimedia User Groups in Nigeria, including the Yoruba Wikimedians User Group, Igbo Wikimedians User Group, Hausa Wikimedians User Group, and the Tyap Wikimedians User Group. It was funded by the Wikimedia Foundation (WMF).
The conference was the first Wikimedia national conference in Nigeria, funded by the Wikimedia Foundation. Its primary aim was to unite Wikimedia communities across Nigeria and define effective strategies for collaboration to advance the Wikimedia movement in the country. Additionally, the event focused on capacity building, knowledge sharing, networking, skill acquisition, and celebrating the collective knowledge that has been shared through Wikimedia projects over the years, as well as the contributors who have been instrumental to their success. Awards were presented to exceptional contributors to Wikimedia projects in Nigeria, as well as to at least one non-Wikimedia contributor.
Core organizing team
[edit]| Team | User Names | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| WMF Liaison | Olaniyan Olushola | Liaise with the Wikimedia Foundation, Grant and partnership |
| Logistics | Kayode Yussuf, Dansu Peter | Coordination of conference logistics and the logistics team |
| Conference Program | Tochi Precious, Friday Musa, User:Iwuala Lucy, Uwasonye Franca, Ugwulebo Jeremiah, Ogali Hillary, Chukwu Pascal | Coordination of programs and the programs committee |
| Scholarships | Olatunde Isaac and all the COT members | Coordination of scholarship and the scholarship committee |
| Communications | User:Ammarpad, Ayokanmi Oyeyemi, Kambai Akau | Coordinate communications and the communication team |
| Outreach and community engagement | User:Agbalagba, and Rhoda James | Coordination of outreach and community engagement team |
| Photography and recording | Yemi Festus and Dappa Solomon | Coordination of photography and program recording |
Scholarship award
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Scholarships were awarded to 80 participants from 23 states across Nigeria. Initially, we planned to award scholarships to 70 participants, but this number was increased to 80. In total, 140 individuals, including partners, media representatives, and invited guests, participated in the conference. Of the 80 scholarships awarded, only 26 went to female participants. Our original goal was to have at least 40 female participants; however, we did not receive a significant number of scholarship applications from women. A committee, Scholarship Review Committee (SRC) of nine (9) members drawn from the Core Organizing Team. The scholarship committee was chaired and coordinated by Isaac Olatunde who has chaired many similar conferences including Wiki Indaba Conferences.
The scholarship application was opened from June - July 2024 and applicants were notified of the status of their application in August 2024.
Logistics
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The conference was well-organized, thanks to the dedicated efforts of the logistics team, comprising Kayode Yussuf and Dansu Peter, who managed the logistics with professionalism. Their responsibilities included securing a suitable venue, arranging hotel accommodations, coordinating travel, overseeing conference catering, ensuring effective communication, and managing volunteers. The team was focused and determined to make the conference program smooth and engaging for all participants. They invested significant time and effort into improving participant management processes.
However, the team encountered three major challenges. First, finding decent hotel accommodations for participants proved difficult. Shared accommodations were particularly challenging in Abuja, as twin bedrooms are not common in Nigeria, resulting in some participants having to share beds. Second, the naira-dollar fluctuations affected the travel booking process, making it difficult to manage costs. While the team managed to cope with these challenges, dealing with the frequent and unnecessary currency fluctuations was far from easy.
The team also faced issues with Wi-Fi instability at the conference venue. Although the federal government of Nigeria, through its agency, the Nigerian Communications Satellite (NIGCOMSAT), provided internet support, the service was largely ineffective. NIGCOMSAT attributed the poor network quality to the hotel's architecture, which compounded the issue. The logistics team worked closely with the communications team to manage interactions with participants, the Wikimedia Foundation, and partners. They addressed requests, handled complaints, and responded to questions related to travel and other concerns. Travel bookings were outsourced to Hikrz Travels, who had previously provided excellent service during WikiConference 2024 in Nigeria.
Despite these challenges, the logistical operations were largely successful, supported by the expertise of Wikimedia Foundation staff and the collaboration of other Wikimedia User Groups in Nigeria, including the Igbo Wikimedians User Group, Yoruba Wikimedians User Group, and Hausa Wikimedians User Group. Overall, we are satisfied with the organization of the conference, and participant feedback indicates that the event was a resounding success. We believe that strengthening the logistics team will further improve future editions of the conference.
General overview of activities of logistics coordinators
[edit]| Area | Task (summarized) | end outcome |
| Cost management | Create budget plan | Complied |
| Process invoices, expenses tracking and cost control | ||
| Set up actual cost overview | ||
| Create invoices from vendors to the fiscal sponsor | ||
| Location management | Conference venue research and negotiation | Complied |
| Conference venue | ||
| Check technical & equipment as well as catering needs | ||
| Catering contracting | ||
| Wifi for conference venue | ||
| Create room plans & schedules | ||
| Set up / Dismantlement | ||
| Manage location and catering team on-site | ||
| Hotel Management | Hotel research and quotations solicitation" | Complied |
| Hotel negotiations | ||
| Hotel contracting | ||
| Hotel reservation for participants | ||
| Participant Management | Set up concept and create registration form | Complied |
| Checking and managing incoming emails | ||
| Adding participants on meta | ||
| Communicating with participants | ||
| Visa Management, creating and sending invitation letters | ||
| Participants support, registration on-site | ||
| Communication Management | Creation and maintenance of meta page | Complied |
| Sending information and updates via mail to participants | ||
| Creation and administration of mailing list | ||
| Respond to individual needs and requirements of participants and other stakeholders | ||
| Create documents for on- site usage (signage, conference guide etc.) | ||
| Social Event | Location scouting | Complied |
| Location booking | ||
| Brainstorming and preparing social activities | ||
| On-site management of participants and service providers |
Program
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The Program Committee received 70 submissions, of which 45 were accepted. The program was coordinated by Tochi Precious. Through elaborate discussions and meetings with members of the program team, COT and feedback and input from the community, the committee designed the appropriate theme for the conference. They also developed the submission process and assessed the submissions based on carefully selected criteria aligned with the agreed theme. The 2024 WikiConference program featured a well-rounded mix of lectures, workshops, tutorials, panels, and roundtables. The schedule also allowed for community meetups, which participants took full advantage of.
The keynote address was delivered by Dr. Vince Kolatuji, National Commissioner and CEO of the Nigeria Data Protection Commission. In his address, he highlighted the critical role of data privacy and security in the digital era.
There was an awards night as part of the conference program, which took place on Day 1. Important dignitaries from the government, civil society, and other invited guests attended the event, where notable Wikimedians were recognized for their contributions. The sudden death of Wilson Onhua was unexpected, as he had been actively involved in organizing the conference programs and had personally managed the stage for the awards ceremony. However, the situation was effectively managed by the conference organizing team, and his passing did not disrupt the conference.
The conference program faced some challenges that negatively impacted the overall delivery of the event. Time management was not effectively handled, as several sessions overlapped. This issue was compounded by the fact that the sessions were held on different floors, which created delays as participants had to move from one floor to another. The time needed for these movements was not factored into the program design.
Additionally, there were online presentations, but poor internet connectivity hindered effective participation, making it difficult to gain meaningful insights from the online sessions.
There was a dedicated sessions for how to boost contributions to local language Wikipedia in terms of quality of contents and contributors. It was acknowledged that the Nigeria Wikimedia community faces challenges in content creation, particularly for local languages and underrepresented topics. It was suggested that there is a need for awareness campaigns and strategies to engage a wider audience, including students, professionals, and institutions. Strengthening campaigns like Wiki Loves Africa and WikiGap could help raise awareness and attract more editors who are native speakers of the language.
It was emphasized that increased content, especially in local languages like Yoruba, Hausa, and Igbo, is crucial to address gaps in Nigeria's knowledge ecosystem. The community calls for more grassroots and public sector awareness campaigns to reach a broader audience. The lack of a clear handover process for ongoing projects was identified as an obstacle to maintaining momentum during leadership transitions, suggesting the need for structured handover guidelines.
The community identified that collaborations with academic institutions and external organizations are essential to building more robust content, with universities and cultural institutions seen as key supporters. Hands-on workshops and technical sessions could enhance learning and provide practical skills for new editors, while sharing experiences between editors of larger and smaller language Wikipedias would guide content growth.
They recommended that training workshops should focus on translation skills and content management, helping editors from smaller language Wikipedias. Preserving local languages through Wikipedia will ensure their survival and global recognition. Advocacy for local language preservation and Wikipedia access in schools can be strengthened by engaging policymakers as allies.
Inclusivity was identified as a priority, with projects needing to consider diverse groups such as women, people with disabilities, and other underrepresented communities. Simplifying project terminologies and workflows can encourage broader participation. A recognizable Wikimedia tag could foster a sense of belonging within the community, driving engagement.
- Other Recommendations
- Strengthen awareness campaigns like Wiki Loves Africa and WikiGap.
- Develop structured handover guidelines for ongoing projects.
- Increase collaborations with academic institutions and cultural organizations.
- Organize more hands-on workshops to enhance editor skills.
- Focus on training for content translation and management.
- Advocate for local language preservation and Wikipedia access in schools.
- Make projects more inclusive and accessible to diverse groups.
- Use simple promotional strategies to boost participation.
- Foster partnerships for resource mobilization, including non-monetary support.
Social events
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Networking and socializing are core values of any Wikimedia-related conference. Two social events were organized for participants: the Award Special Dinner and the Abuja Tour. The tour was organized by the Conference Organizing Team in collaboration with the Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation and Tour Nigeria. At the award dinner, participants were entertained by the Real Brazz Troupe from Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria, and enjoyed musical performances by each user group, as well as performances by talented participants. It was an exciting and emotional moment as individuals were called to receive their awards. Special Nigerian delicacies were served at the dinner, and participants were entertained throughout the event.
There was an Aerobic session in Day 2 and it was fun for participants and serve as a way to network, and build a strong bond together as a community. In general, the social events were interesting and from our own experience and feedback from participants, it was very successful
Long-term impact
Please share a brief update about the status projects, important discussions and/or capacity building that took place at the event.
| Impacts | Activities during the conference | 6 months after the conference | 10 months after the conference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unified Wikimedia Community In Nigeria: | The need for the Wikimedia affilates in Nigeria to be united was identified during the conference and concreate recommendations were made on how our unity could be enhanced. Some of the recommendations discussed included:
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| Capacity Development | We had about 10 Capacity building sessions and at least an average of 15 people participated per training. There were several discussions on capacity-building for community members and capacity building were recommended in the following areas
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| Improved quality of contents on small language Wikipedia | It was achnoledged at the conference that the quality of contents on local language Wikipedia are suboptimal and needs to be improved. The following recommendations were suggested
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