From Tsuvadi to Shingini: Building a Wikimedia Community for the Kambari Language in Nigeria

What began as an outreach project focused on the Tsuvadi language grew into a broader initiative to introduce Wikimedia projects to speakers of the Kambari language and lay the foundation for a sustainable Kambari Wikimedia community.

The project was initially designed around Tsuvadi, but consultations with the Language Development Translation and Initiative (LDTI), traditional leaders, and community members revealed that Tsuvadi is one of the varieties of the broader Shingini (Kambari) language. Based on these consultations, the project was expanded to include three major varieties: Tsishingini, spoken in the Salka area; Cishingini, spoken in the Agwara area; and Tsikimba, spoken in the Auna area.

This change made the project more representative of the Kambari-speaking community and provided contributors with the opportunity to work in the variety they were most familiar with.

Bringing Wikimedia to the Kambari Community

The outreach took place over three days in Salka, Niger State, and brought together community members interested in language preservation, digital knowledge, and Wikimedia projects. Attendance exceeded the original expectation of 43 participants, with 46 on the first day, 36 on the second, and 37 on the third. In total, 45 editors participated in the project. Danjuma Anthony coordinated the project. Experienced Wikimedia facilitators Kambai Akau and Kuyet Friday Musa guided participants through editing on the Wikimedia Incubator and introduced them to Wikimedia’s broader ecosystem. Additional support from the community, Danladi Matthew and Dr. Aliyu Dantata, also helped make the event successful. Participants received practical training, learning materials, internet support, meals, transportation assistance, and follow-up support to help them participate effectively.

The support of the Language Development Translation and Initiative (LDTI) and traditional leaders, including the Mogono Salka, was particularly important in building trust within the community. Their involvement helped encourage participation and demonstrated the value of combining local community leadership with Wikimedia activities.

More Than Expected

The results went far beyond the project’s original targets. The initial plan was to create 200 new articles, improve 200 existing articles, upload 100 images, and recruit 40 new editors. Instead, participants created 647 new articles, improved 736 existing articles, and made 2,980 edits. They also uploaded 430 images to Wikimedia Commons, while contributing approximately 71,700 words and 53 references.

These contributions provided a substantial amount of new Wikimedia content in the Kambari language varieties and helped establish a foundation for continued work toward a Kambari Wikipedia. The project also created a Kambari Wikipedia Post-Outreach Engagement Program, allowing participants to continue receiving support and contributing online after the physical training ended.

What We Learned

Several factors contributed to the project’s success. Working closely with local language organizations and traditional leaders helped the organizers understand the community’s linguistic situation and encouraged people to participate. Experienced facilitators also provided the mentorship needed to help new contributors understand Wikimedia editing.

Providing internet access, transportation reimbursement, meals, learning materials, and follow-up data support helped participants remain engaged during the outreach. At the same time, the project faced some challenges. The poor road between Abuja and Salka made transportation difficult. The original venue was also changed from Kontagora to Salka after consultations showed that Salka provided better access to speakers, language experts, and literacy materials.

The team also planned to introduce participants to Translatewiki, but contributors could not begin practical translation work because the necessary permissions were not granted before the event. After the physical outreach, some participants also struggled to continue editing because of the cost of internet data. These challenges highlighted the importance of beginning technical preparations earlier, extending post-event mentorship, and providing dedicated internet support for contributors after physical training.

Building for the Future

One of the most encouraging outcomes was the community’s commitment to continue the work. During the closing discussions, Kambari-speaking participants expressed their willingness to continue translating and developing content for the Kambari Wikipedia Incubator.

Community members also asked facilitators to be patient during the rainy season, when many participants are busy with farming and may have less time for editing. They explained that activity may increase during the dry season, when participants expect to have more time to contribute.

The experience showed that Wikimedia outreach can do more than create articles. It can bring together language experts, community leaders, new editors, and experienced Wikimedians to build the foundations of a sustainable digital language community.

The Kambari project is only a beginning. With continued mentorship and community participation, the contributors who started editing during this outreach can continue expanding Kambari-language content and help bring a future Kambari Wikipedia closer to reality.

If you speak a Shingini (Kambari) language variety or are interested in helping preserve Kambari knowledge online, you can join the community, learn Wikimedia editing, and contribute to the growing body of content in Tsishingini, Cishingini, and Tsikimba.