In a transformative step toward reshaping the narrative of the Niger Delta region, NDLink in collaboration with Wikimedia Niger Delta, hosted a groundbreaking training event titled Leveraging Wikipedia for Non-Profits.

The workshop brought together over 20 participants from non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and civil society organizations (CSOs) across the region including the  Global Shapers Community PH, Kebetkache Women Development Center,  Stakeholder Democracy Network (SDN), Partners for Peace (P4P),  equipping them with technical skills to amplify their causes and share the untold stories of the Niger Delta, leveraging the over 10billion monthly views on the Wikipedia platfom.

Wikipedia is a collaborative online encyclopedia created and maintained by volunteers, often referred to as Wikipedians, using the MediaWiki software. As the largest and most widely consulted reference source in history, it consistently ranks among the top ten most visited websites globally. As of August 2024, it was ranked fourth by Semrush and seventh by Similarweb. Established on January 15, 2001, by Jimmy Wales and Larry Sanger, Wikipedia has been managed by the Wikimedia Foundation since 2003, a nonprofit organization that primarily relies on reader donations for funding.

Advocacy/NDLink Coordinator Andrew Banigo emphasized the event’s alignment with the Foundation for Partnership Initiatives in the Niger Delta (PIND)’s mission to promote sustainable development. He highlighted NDLink’s commitment to empowering local organizations to take control of their digital narratives, ensuring that the region’s rich culture, history, and ongoing development efforts receive the recognition they deserve.

“The Niger Delta’s story has often been misrepresented or left untold,” Banigo said. “By equipping local change makers with tools like Wikipedia, we are not only giving them a voice but also ensuring that their work contributes to changing global perceptions of our region.”

Michael Diala of the Wikimedia Niger Delta Foundation, which has tirelessly documented the stories from the Niger Delta region on the Wikimedia platform, stressed the importance of community-driven platforms like Wikipedia in shaping public understanding. “The Wiki Niger Delta Network aims to spotlight the region’s culture, history, and development initiatives. By telling our own stories, we can redefine the global narrative and highlight the extraordinary efforts being made for sustainable development,” he noted.

The training mainly facilitated by Ashioma Medi, Wikimedia Nigeria’s Grants lead and Wikimedia Niger Delta’s training leads., covered Wikipedia’s core principles of neutrality, verifiability, and notability, ensuring participants understood how to create credible and impactful content while navigating the unique nuances of  the platform. Practical sessions, including an edit-a-thon, allowed participants to create and edit articles directly related to their organizations and causes which served as a vital learning process.

Participants described the training as a game-changer, expressing newfound confidence in using Wikipedia platform  to highlight their work and reach international audiences. “This training has empowered us to tell our stories in a way that’s authentic and impactful,” said one attendee. “It’s a step toward ensuring the world understands the efforts being made in the Niger Delta.”

As these organizations begin to leverage Wikipedia to share their successes, challenges, and ongoing projects, the region’s story is set to take on a new dimension one that reflects resilience, innovation, and a commitment to sustainable progress.

By amplifying these voices, NDLink and Wikimedia Nigeria are ensuring that the true story of the Niger Delta is not just told but celebrated on a global scale.