From Campus to Wiki Commons: Documenting ABU Zaria Carnival 2026

This is a Wikimedia documentation project designed to bridge this gap by documenting the 2026 ABU Zaria Cultural Carnival and making selected photographs available on Wikimedia Commons. The project capture the people, performances, cultural displays, traditional costumes, processions, symbols, locations and other significant elements that make the carnival an important expression of cultural diversity on campus. This was created by WUGN kaduna network team of Ramatu A. Haliru (inyor4mr), Halima Waziri, Zainab Z, and Mohammed Fadil with support from Wikimedia User Group Nigeria community support fund. Cultural Heritage and Diversity at the ABU Zaria Cultural Carnival The ABU Zaria Cultural Carnival is an important annual celebration of cultural diversity, heritage and identity within Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria. The carnival brings together students, cultural associations, staff, traditional title holders and members of the wider university community to showcase Nigeria’s rich ethnic and cultural traditions through colourful processions, traditional attire, music, dance, horse parades, exhibitions and pageantry. Beyond its entertainment value, the carnival provides a valuable opportunity to document the diverse cultural expressions, practices and identities represented within the university community. The Aim of the project The project adopts the idea of moving “from campus to commons” transforming a locally experienced university cultural event into an openly accessible visual knowledge resource that can be discovered and reused by people beyond the university. Through Wikimedia Commons, the documentation can contribute to broader efforts to represent Nigerian people, places, cultures and traditions in the Wikimedia knowledge ecosystem. Ultimately, the project aims to ensure that the ABU Zaria Carnival 2026 is not remembered only through temporary social-media posts or personal photographs, but becomes part of an enduring and openly accessible record of cultural heritage. By documenting the carnival, the project will support cultural preservation, improve the visibility of Nigerian cultural expressions online, and provide valuable visual resources for education, research, storytelling and future Wikimedia projects. Main Challenge: Student Participation and Demonstrating the Value of Wikimedia Commons One of the major challenges encountered during the planning of the ABU Zaria Carnival 2026 documentation project was getting the Ahmadu Bello University Students’ Representative leadership and student community to understand the value of documenting the carnival on Wikimedia Commons. Initial engagement was difficult because many students and student representatives were more familiar with social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and X. From their perspective, documenting the carnival on social media appeared to provide more immediate benefits, including visibility, likes, comments, followers, recognition and opportunities to reach their peers. Call to Action Don’t let the story of ABU Zaria Carnival disappear into the social-media timeline every year. Help us move the story from Campus to wikimedia Commons by documenting, preserving and sharing our cultural heritage on Wikimedia Commons for students, researchers and future generations. Link to category on Wikimedia Commons : https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:ABU_Zaria_Cultural_Carnival_2026 Can you help us translate this article? In order for this article to reach as many people as possible we would like your help. Can you translate this article to get the message out? Start translation