Politics
MR Olushola Olaniyan, the Chairman, Board of Trustees, Wikipedia Nigeria User Group, says the group will change the narrative of how Nigerian content is perceived on the internet.
Olaniyan told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday, in Lagos, that the Wikipedia Nigeria would connect with Nigerians on ways to use Wikipedia to project Nigeria.
He said that this was why the Wikipedia Nigeria UG opened its office in Lagos State, at a ceremony which was chaired by Alhaji Mohammed Idris, the Publisher of Blueprint Newspapers and the Secretary-General of the Newspaper Proprietors Association of Nigeria (NPAN).
The Wikimedia Nigeria User Group is a community of contributors to Wikipedia and free knowledge enthusiasts based in Nigeria and in the diaspora.
It is a recognised affiliate of the Wikimedia Foundation, the non-profit organisation that operates Wikipedia and other projects.
”With the opening of the office in Nigeria, Wikipedia Nigeria UG aims to connect with Nigerians on how to use Wikipedia and its sister projects.
”Wikipedia Nigeria UG also aims to work with mission-aligned initiates in the country to demystify the Eurocentric perspective on Nigerian content on the internet.
”As a group of open knowledge advocates, the group should aim at increasing the visibility and availability of free knowledge in Nigeria, while also fostering a community of Wikimedians, who can support and guide each other in their contributions,” the chairman said.
According to him, the journey to formalise the Wikimedia community in Nigeria began in 2015, and the group was registered by the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) in Nigeria as a non-profit organisation in 2018.
He said that the organisation had conducted hundreds of projects in the past years, from capacity-building to content creation, and partnered with over 50 mission-aligned organisations, including government ministries, agencies, and departments.
Olaniyan said that the group comprised open and free knowledge advocates, language enthusiasts, and people interested in contributing to Wikipedia and other Wikimedia projects.
He said that they actively contributed to Wikimedia projects like Wikipedia, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons, and more, and the group structured its operation around Fan clubs and networks across the country.
Speaking at the opening ceremony of the office held on Tuesday. Idris had encouraged members of the group to be steadfast in their support for the community and contribution to the sum of all human knowledge.
He urged them to continue to promote the image of Nigeria through their contributions on Wikipedia.
”The initiative will project the idea of the country positively, and I feel Nigerian influence should support it to achieve its purpose,” Idris said. (NAN)
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– July 22, 2023 @ 12:10 GMT |
Tags: Mr Olushola Olaniyan
