Wiki Classroom Expands Digital Literacy Campaign with Iju-Fagba Activation

The Wiki Classroom initiative developed by African and Proud has expanded its digitally literacy campaign with activation of the Wiki Classroom initiative in Iju-Fagba area of Lagos state.

The digital literacy and open-knowledge programme funded by the Wikimedia Foundation is designed to introduce secondary school students to Wikipedia and was launched in Lagos earlier this year.

The activation in Iju-Fagba brought together students five selected secondary schools in the area and introduced them to sourcing reliable information, understanding notability, and contributing factual content to Wikipedia.

The selected schools include: Barachel Model College, Providence Heights Secondary School, Imola Comprehensive College, Novel Light High School, and Excellent Leaders Secondary School.

Speaking at the event, Kolawole Oyewole, Co-Founder of African and Proud, said the project was inspired by the need to empower young people to become not just consumers but creators of credible information.

“We are excited to have this Wiki Classroom in Lagos because our students are future leaders,” he said. “It is important for them to know that not everything online is reliable, and they must learn how to identify and produce genuine information.”

Oyewole added that the initiative is also being extended to other states, including Anambra and Kano, to equip more young Nigerians with the skills to contribute meaningfully to global knowledge platforms.

A 17-year-old SS3 student of Imola Comprehensive College, Orioke Timilehin, speaking on the value gained from the programme said that through the training, she has learned that “Wikipedia is an online encyclopedia that is reliable. I will teach my classmates to use it because it helps us learn better.

For Carissa Eniola, a JSS3 student of Novel Light High School, the session opened her eyes to the vast opportunities technology offers. “There are things I didn’t imagine I could know until this programme,” she said. “I want more young people to embrace the internet positively because its benefits outweigh its negatives.”

Meanwhile, the president of Wikimedia Foundation in Nigeria, Mr. Olushola Olaniyan, encouraged students not just to write but ensure they understand what is notable, public recognition, and published content in independent, reliable sources.

Project Coordinator for Wiki Classroom in Lagos, Kemi Makinde Ogunseitan, said the programme is a timely intervention in an era dominated by social media.

“We want students to contribute and not just consume information. They were taught notability, reliability, and the difference between being popular and being notable She corroborating what the president said about the topic on notability and popularity. They now understand that Wikipedia content must be backed by credible media sources,” she said.

Director of Programs for Wikimedia Nigeria, Ayokanmi Oyoyemi, emphasized the importance of engaging young people early while commending teachers for embracing the initiative to support eager students contributors.