The Tyap Wikipedia User Group has successfully trained 20 participants to become Jju Wikipedia editors, aiming to improve the translation and editing skills of the literate Bajju people, predominantly found in Kaduna State. The training, as reported by *Arewa PUNCH*, focused on equipping participants with the necessary knowledge to edit and translate articles from English Wikipedia to Jju on the Wikimedia Incubator and Translatewiki platforms.
Levi Kambai Timothy, Executive Director of Tyap Wikimedians User Group, explained that the Jju Wikipedia Outreach initiative was designed to teach Jju speakers how to create articles on Wikimedia Incubator. He emphasized the significance of the incubator, a platform owned by the Wikimedia Foundation, which introduces languages that may eventually become independent Wikipedias.
“The Jju Wikipedia was just introduced in the incubator this month. We now have 15 new editors proficient in Jju, five of whom are experts in writing the language, ensuring consistent and accurate spelling,” Timothy said.
Unlike previous Tyap Wikipedia training sessions, which faced challenges due to participants’ lack of literacy in Tyap, the Jju training saw participation from members of the Jju Language Board, ensuring a higher level of proficiency among attendees.
Timothy also disclosed plans to rename the Tyap Wikimedians User Group to Nenzit Wikimedians User Group, aiming to represent a wider group of Plateau languages. This is part of the group’s mission to preserve and document languages at risk of extinction.
Antyokaryi Joshua Nzamah, a participant, praised the initiative for its potential to preserve and document indigenous languages for future generations, making them accessible online.
This initiative is part of a broader effort to safeguard endangered languages and ensure their continued use in the digital age.
