By Amina Samuel, Kaduna
Young people in Kaduna State are being encouraged to actively contribute to Wikipedia, the free online encyclopedia, as a means of promoting education and sharing intellectual knowledge.
The call comes from Hajiya Ramatu Haliru, President of the Wikimedia Kaduna Network, who believes the platform offers a powerful alternative to the spread of misinformation.
Hajiya Haliru made her remarks during a recent programme organised by the Kaduna Network in collaboration with the TYAP Wikimedians User Group.
The event focused on training individuals on how to upload images to Wikipedia, a crucial step in enriching the platform’s content.
Rather than engaging with “fake news” or content that offers no educational value, Hajiya Haliru highlighted that the non-profit Wikimedia Foundation provides an open avenue for thousands of people keen on sharing their expertise and promoting their local communities.
“I want the Northern Youth, especially the Kaduna youth, not only youth, well-meaning Kaduna people should come together, let’s tell the Kaduna story yourselves,” she urged, emphasising the importance of local narratives.
She noted that Wikipedia is an internationally recognised source of credible information. Hajiya Haliru advised Kaduna citizens to leverage the platform to bring their state into the global spotlight.
A significant concern for Hajiya Haliru is the low level of contribution from Kaduna State, historically a centre of learning, to Wikipedia.
She issued a strong appeal for residents, particularly the younger generation, to engage more actively.
Kambai Akau, the programme facilitator and team lead of the Tyap Wikimedians User Group, underscored the importance of visual content.
He explained that Wikimedia Foundation frequently launches campaigns, such as the ongoing “Wikipedia Page Wanting Photos” (WPWP) initiative.
Akau pointed out that many articles concerning Kaduna State on Wikipedia currently lack images, or feature outdated ones.
He believes the WPWP challenge will be instrumental in populating existing articles with relevant photographs, enhancing their quality and appeal.
Two participants at the training, Mrs. Zainab Buba and Mr. Sylvester Wella, expressed their satisfaction with the programme.
They confirmed they had learned the process of uploading pictures from Wikimedia Commons to Wikipedia pages and pledged to practice and disseminate their newly acquired skills.
