Wikipedia has reaffirmed its commitment to sustaining free, reliable knowledge through community participation, highlighting Africa’s growing influence in shaping the world’s largest online encyclopedia.
Its Chief Executive Officer, Wikimedia Foundation, Ms Maryana Iskander, said this while announcing the milestone in a statement in Lagos,
She said that the platform was celebrating a quarter century of volunteer-driven knowledge creation and reflecting on its evolution into a critical pillar of the global information ecosystem.
Iskander described Wikipedia as “a digital wonder of the world” built and sustained by people committed to sharing trusted, free knowledge.
“From its modest beginnings to billions of monthly visits today, Wikipedia has become foundational to the modern internet, relied upon by search engines, AI systems, educators and media organisations worldwide,” Iskander said.
She noted that the platform’s resilience through technological disruption and misinformation challenges is rooted in its human-powered model.
Central to the commemoration is a new video docuseries profiling eight volunteer editors from around the world, including Nigeria’s Goodness Ignatius, a librarian and cultural advocate documenting Nigerian and Igbo history on Wikipedia.
Iskander said Ignatius’ work reflects a broader surge in African participation, with steady growth in contributors, local-language content and community-led innovation across the continent.
She added that Wikimedia leaders believe Africa would play a pivotal role in shaping knowledge for the next generation of internet users.
The foundation also unveiled a “25 Years of Wikipedia” digital time capsule featuring founder Jimmy Wales, reflections on defining global moments and insights into the platform’s lesser-known stories.
An interactive quiz, she said, invites users to explore possible futures for Wikipedia.
As artificial intelligence continues to reshape the information landscape, Wikimedia executives emphasised that Wikipedia’s enduring value lies in human curation.
The foundation’s Chief Product and Technology Officer, Ms Selena Deckelmann, said human-created knowledge is more essential than ever in the AI era.
She said technology partners, including Microsoft and ProRata AI, commended Wikipedia’s commitment to content quality and transparency.
Deckelmann noted that they highlight new commercial partnerships through Wikimedia Enterprise to support responsible AI development.
According to her, Wikipedia currently hosts more than 65 million articles in over 300 languages and remains the only non-profit organisation among the world’s top ten most-visited websites.
Deckelmann added that ongoing improvements in infrastructure, accessibility and efforts to close knowledge gaps underscore the platform’s enduring relevance.
Looking ahead, she said Wikipedia’s future would continue to centre on people-powered knowledge, with Africa’s growing voice making the global encyclopedia more representative of the world it serves.
Wikipedia Founder and Wikimedia Foundation Trustee, Mr Jimmy Wales, said the platform’s success reflects the power of collaboration.
“In 2001, Wikipedia started as a dream to share knowledge with everyone, everywhere. Against all odds, it has grown to become the backbone of knowledge on the internet today,” Wales said.
He said activities to mark 25 years of Wikipedia would continue through 2026, involving its global volunteer community and affiliates worldwide.
