Wikimedians of Northern Nigeria User Group

Wikimedians of Northern Nigeria User Group
Northern Nigeria
Location	Northern Nigeria
Country code	NGR
Staff	6
Volunteers	25
Official language(s)	Hausa English
Other language(s)	Hausa Fulfulde Kanuri Tiv Nupe Gbagyi Igala Idoma Izon Margi Karai-Karai Bade Kamwe Ukwuani Berom
Chairman	Uncle Bash
Key people	Gwanki (Vice Chairman) A Sulaiman Z (Secretary) Sanusi Gado (treasure) Hauwa'u Sulaiman (Ass. Secretary)
Motto	Promoting Wikimedia projects in Northern Nigeria languages

The Wikimedians of Northern Nigeria User Group is a Wikimedia user group serving Wikimedians in Northern Nigeria – (Arewa). Northern Nigeria comprises all the states north to River Niger, which include Bauchi, Benue, Borno, Kano, Katsina, Plateau, Kaduna, Niger, Adamawa, Zaria, Sokoto, Kabba, Ilorin along with various tribes and cultures. There are about 60-70 languages across states in Northern Nigeria,

Northern Nigeria covers various states and provinces in Nigeria. It comprises of various ethnic groups like Hausa, Fulani, Kanuri, Nupe, Tiv, Igala, Berom and Yoruba. Which some of these major ethnic groups are absent in many Wikimedia Projects. Furthermore, there are about 60-70 languages across states in Northern Nigeria, in which very few have pages on Wikimedia projects (and some are in danger of extinction. link

The Wikimedians of Northern Nigeria User Group is aimed at promoting Wikimedia goals across the region as well as engaging the various languages present in the region to different Wikimedia Projects with special emphasis on Wikimedia Sister Projects such as Wikitionary, Wikiquote, Wikinews, Wikisource, Wikibooks among others. This user group will create a welcoming and enabling environment for every Wikimedian in this region and will aim toward achieving the mission and vision of Wikipedia, as well as 2030 strategies. It will also focus on engaging and training other languages present in Northern Nigeria in different Wikimedia projects.

The objectives of this user group is to:

• Create a welcoming and enabling environment for Wikimedians across Northern Nigeria
• Promote use of Wikimedia projects by people in Northern Nigeria
• Recruit and train people in the region on how to contribute to different Wikimedia Projects
• Organize in-person and online gatherings of Wikimedians in the region
• Engage the major languages among various ethnic groups (in the region) in Wikimedia Projects

Northern Nigeria Wikimedians User Group is aimed at fostering community engagement, knowledge sharing, and content improvement.

We will organise edit-a-thons, workshops, and training sessions to empower members with Wikimedia editing skills.

Additionally, outreach programmes in local communities, schools, etc to promote awarenesses about the Wikimedia projects.

By collaborating on these initiatives, we aim to amplify the representation of Northern Nigeria's culture and history on Wikimedia platforms.

We also aim at engaging minority languages and un-recognised user groups present in Northern Nigeria

• Online meeting with Wikimedia Nigeria founders.
• Online meeting with Igbo Wikimedians user group co-founders
• Wikimedians of Northern Nigeria members will meet online with some of the co-founders of Igbo Wikimedians user group to discuss and learn on:
  • strategies in handling user group especially in Nigeria.
  • Challenges they faced and how they come about
  • Collaboration and how they build patnership both internal (Wikimedia) and external or government organisations here in Nigeria. and
  • Advises or opinions on our group's goal, system and vision...
  • Theme: Wikimedians of Northern Nigeria Monthly Meet-up
  • Date & Time: Sunday 3rd March, 2024. (9:00pm - 10:00pm UTC)
  • Venue: Google Meet Y

1. To discuss on the group's programs and road map
2. Draw out policies relevant to Wikimedia guideline for group members.
3. Strategise on collaborations both on-wiki and off-wiki.
4. Assign roles and responsibilities among co-founders
5. Organize mini editathon among members.

Co-founders of Northern Nigeria Wikimedians User Group organised an in-person meeting which took place in Katsina, Katsina State. Members sprawn from different locations; Kano, Funtua; & Kaduna. The meeting started around 11:30am till 3:00pm. The meeting was aimed to discuss on:-

1. Road map and way forward for the group
2. Discuss strategies that will help attain the group's objectives towards achieving Wikimedia Goals & visions
3. Inspire collaborations both on-wiki and off-wiki
4. Ways to create strong relationship with other Wikimedia User Groups, Chapters, etc.
5. Assign roles and responsibilities among founders
6. Conduct a mini-editathon to create/improve articles on Hausa Wikiquote.

The mini editathon was kicked immidiately after the discussion meeting and it lasts for 24hrs. The contest is aimed towards increasing number of women quotations on Hausa Wikiquote, and developing the Incubator wiki.

• We have achived our goal for creating/improving new articles
• Every member participated in the event.

• Dashboard tool failed to track edits on Incubator
• Time limit constrain is another factor. As participants came from different locations in Northern Nigeria; Kano; Funtua; and Kaduna, and some had to leave that same day to their home towns

Participant's Northern Nigerian Wikimedians UG First Editathon

S/N	Names	Articles created	Articles Improved	Cumulative
1.	UncleBash	25	25	50
2.	Gwanki
3.	AYM8818
4.	Yusuf Sa'adu	3	17	20
5.	A Sulaiman Z	3	16	19
6.	Sanusi Gado	2	11	13
7.	Manaf205
8.	hurayrahZ
9.	Ayaadalhat

Pictures of the event

• 
  Co-founders met at Katsina on 11th February 2024
• 
  Co-founders conducted a mini-editathon
• 
  Co-founders meeting & editathon
• 
  Co-founders meeting & editathon2
• 
  Co-founders meeting & editathon

- to discuss on how to work and collaborate efficiently towards achieving our varying goals.

• • Date: Sunday 18th Feb. 2024
  • Time: 8:30pm
  • Link: Google meet
  • Remark: Achieved (we met with user:M-Mustapha as planned and we discuss deliberatly on above topics). Y

The meeting was organised for the month of February and co-founders met to discuss on the following:

1. Policy, guidelines and rules of the user group based on accepted Wikimedia Guidelines & policies Y
2. Appointment of roles and responsibilities among co-founders. Y
3. To implement a monthly meet-upY

• Conducted on 3rd March, 2024. Achieved Y

• Conducted on 6th April, 2024. Achieved Y

• Conducted on 5th May, 2024. Achieved Y

• Conducted on 9th June, 2024. Achieved Y

• Conducted on 6th July, 2024. Achieved Y

• Conducted on 4th August, 2024. Achieved Y

• 
  Uncle Bash007 training women on Wiki Loves Women SheSaid campaign
• 
  Women participants
• 
  Group picture SheSaid Hausa Wikiquote

• First coined in August 2023.

Please use this wikipage's talk page to contact this group.

• Uncle Bash007 –
• Gwanki –

• Join us on Facebook (Wikimedians of Northern Nigeria)

Members may add this to their User Pages for advertising the User Group {{User Wikimedians of Northern Nigeria User Group}}.

• This user is a member of Wikimedians of Northern Nigeria User Group.

1. Uncle Bash
2. Gwanki
3. Yusuf Sa'adu
4. Aminu Badamasi
5. A Salisu
6. sadammuhammad11234
7. A Sulaiman Z
8. A'isha Sulaiman
9. Sanusi Gado
10. Hamza DK
11. Manaf205
12. Ayaadalhat
13. Musa Vacho77
14. Nazifi IN
15. Muhammad Idriss Criteria
16. HurayrahZ (talk)
17. El-Abdallaah
18. M Bash Ne
19. Usmanmaifada
20. Hauwau sulaiman
21. Abdulmutallib labarahim Salisu
22. Mr. Snatch
23. Ibrahim Sani Mustapha
24. AYM8818]]^Talk
25. Abubakar Yusuf Gusau
26. Sirjat
27. Umar-askira (talk) 21:57, 28 October 2024 (UTC)[reply]
28. Zinathayat Muhammad Salim

Following a series of in-person and online meetings, the co-founders agreed on appointing roles and responsibilities (based on experience) for a period of two years, after which an election process will take place to determine the next learders. Hence, the current leaders and board members are on the table below:

Board of trustees members
SN	Board Member(s)	Designation	Date of appointment	Expiration of appointment
1.	Uncle Bash007	Chairman	07 February 2024	07 February 2026
2.	Gwanki	Vice Chairman	07 February 2024	07 February 2026
3.	A Sulaiman Z	Secretary	07 February 2024	07 February 2026
4.	Sanusi Gado	Treasurer	07 February 2024	07 February 2026
5.	Hauwau sulaiman	Ass. Secretary (Female)	07 February 2024	07 February 2026
Board of Advisory Committee
1.	Yusuf Sa'adu	Board Councilor	07 February 2024	07 February 2026
2.	AYM8818	Board Vice Councilor	07 February 2024	07 February 2026
3.	Manaf205	Board Auditor	07 February 2024	07 February 2024

The following policies are drawn for the smooth movement of the user group. Hence, these laws are flexible and may subject to changes with a more positive and strong idea (which is indeed directed towards achieving the user group's goals as well as Wikimedia mission and vision.

1. The first chair and board members are based on appointment for the first tenure (2yrs). Appointment is made base on experience and competence. An election will be held to vote for the next government
2. The acting chair and board members will serve two years before proceeding election
3. The co-founders must be consulted in every decision and hence must be satisfied with the opinion before being approved
4. Every other member has an equal right to give out an opinion or critic (positively). But all manners of the usergroup must be kept private and discussed discritely. Every member has a right to his privacy and other members as well.
5. No official member will apply for a grant when user group grant is active. (unless otherwise necessary and could not be covered by the user group.
6. When user group has received annual grant.. every member and non-mebers are eligible to apply for a mini-grant from the user group.
7. There will be a monthly meet-up for group members.
8. All official members must follow the Wikimedia user group agreement and code of conduct

• User Group registration with Cooperate Affairs Commision CAC, to be recognised by the Federal Republic of Nigeria. (in progress...)
• User Group will open a Cooperate Account (so that no single member can have access to group's fund without consent of other co-founders, among other reason for transparency & accountability. (in view)
• Meeting with Nupe Wikimedians & Kanuri Wikipedia Editors on our User Group's aim towards major minority languages in the region.