Grants:Project/Rapid/Bukky658/Wikidata for Libraries and Librarians in Nigeria/Report

Report accepted
This report for a Rapid Grant approved in FY 2020-21 has been reviewed and accepted by the Wikimedia Foundation.


Goals edit

Did you meet your goals? Are you happy with how the project went?

Yes, we achieved our goals and I am happy with the outcome. The project increased Wikidata participation among Library Students and Librarians. We recruited new editors, improved the skills of existing editors, and added as well as improved items on Wikidata about Nigerian Libraries and notable Librarians using the nominal list of practising librarians in Nigeria, mailing list of libraries in Nigeria from the National Library of Nigeria and other online resources.

Outcome edit

Please report on your original project targets. Please be sure to review and provide metrics required for Rapid Grants.


Target outcome Achieved outcome Explanation
Number of events: 2 events 2 events Each Physical training had 1hr:30mins of edit-a-thon which was organized as scheduled.
Number of participants: 30 participants 55 participants 30 respectively for the trainings/editathons. 25 editors participated virtually for the training/edit-a-thon.
Number of new editors: 10 23 We exceeded the number of new editors targeted for the training.
Number of items created or improved: 200 471 items created, 819 items edited, 926 references added The target was attained and surpassed because of the willingness of the participants to add their own quota to the create visibility for libraries and notable librarians on Wikidata. This metric can be found on the Dashboard , 111 Nigerian Librarians using Wikidata Query Builder, and 469 Libraries in Nigeria using Wikidata Query Builder
Number of repeat participants (for projects that include a series of events) = 15 30 95 per cent of people that attended the training also participated in the edit-a-thon.


Learning edit

Projects do not always go according to plan. Sharing what you learned can help you and others plan similar projects in the future. Help the movement learn from your experience by answering the following questions:

  • What worked well?

The desire of librarians and library students to learn more about Wikidata aided us in exceeding our goal, resulting in a fantastic experience for both organizers and participants. We also used the project's WhatsApp platform to share progress on the dashboard on a regular basis, including the username of the leading editors, which increased participation. The participants also enjoyed the ambiance of the library space, which inspired them to invite and train others while spreading the Wikimedia Foundation's vision statement. We were able to enlist the help of other people who were not librarians or library students but were eager to contribute to the development of Wikidata. Participants were allowed to share their experiences and challenges with the project team at the physical trainings and online via Whatsapp and a one-on-one support was provided for them to have a better understanding of what Wikidata entails and how it works.

  • What did not work so well?
  1. We received the funds late, which caused us to consider extending the grant's end date because the bank we used required confirmation of the wire transfer before we could receive the funds as they had reversed the first transfer made, slowing down project execution.
  2. We had more participants than we had budgeted for at the two physical trainings, so we had to provide series of online trainings for those we could not accomodate, in order for them to contribute to the project.
  • What would you do differently next time?
  1. We will notify the bank's accounting officer ahead of time that we will be expecting a wire transfer; so they will not reverse the project funds received into the account next time.
  2. We will use hybrid method in future training/edithatons to accommodate those who may be unable to attend physical trainings.

Finances edit

Grant funds spent edit

Please describe how much grant money you spent for approved expenses, and tell us what you spent it on.

  • Library Space: $242 x 2 events = $484
  • Food and Drinks: $10 x 30 X 2 events = $600
  • DSLR Camera rental: $25 x 2 events = $50
  • Router hire: $25 x 2 events = $50
  • Data subscription on router: $50 x 2 events = $100
  • graphics designing o posters and Roll up banners: $80
  • Branded Nose Mask: $2 x 30 = $60
  • Projector rental: $20 x 2 = $40
  • Hand Sanitizers for participants and organisers at 2 physical events = $25
  • Branded Shirts for organisers : $12 x 3 = $36
  • Gift vouchers for top contributors: $170 (first: $60, Second:$50, third:$40, fourth:$30 ,fifth:$20 and 2 top Newest editors:$25)
  • Branded souvenirs for participants and organisers: $8 x 23 = $184
  • Bank Charges and logistics:$37

Total = $1,916

Remaining funds edit

Do you have any remaining grant funds?

No, all grant funds were used exactly as proposed and approved.

Anything else edit

Anything else you want to share about your project?

Photos from the events can be seen here Wikidata Libraries and Librarians in Nigeria

Pictures from the events