A group known as Wiki Niger Delta Heritage Collective has announced a new partnership with the Thought Pyramid Art Centre (TPAC) to groom young creatives from the Niger Delta in the art of storytelling, creativity, and cultural documentation.
Through this collaboration, TPAC will open its gallery spaces in Abuja, Lagos, and Oghara, Delta State, to host trainings, photo-upload-athons, cultural festivals, exhibitions, and documentary showcases.
The initiative will teach youths how to tell authentic Niger Delta stories while contributing to Wikipedia, Wikimedia Commons, and other sister projects of the Wikimedia Foundation.
The programme will provide hands-on training in photography, storytelling, and open-source contributions, ensuring that Niger Delta traditions, heritage, and lived experiences are preserved and accessible to a global audience. By merging TPAC’s long-standing commitment to African art with the Collective’s vision for open knowledge, the partnership creates new opportunities for young creatives to showcase their talents locally and globally.
This is about empowering our youths to own their narratives and place their culture on the world stage.
Speaking on the partnership, Olorogun Jeff Ometite Ajueshi, Founder and Lead Curator of the Thought Pyramid Art Centre, and Convener of the Foundation for Arts & Creative Talents (FACT), said:
“As a proud Niger Deltan, I am honored to associate with and collaborate alongside the Wiki Niger Delta Heritage Collective in our shared mission to tell the authentic stories of the people of the Niger Delta. Through art exhibitions, photography, theatre performances, creative writing, documentaries, folktales, and other cultural mediums, we aim to document the richness and diversity of our heritage.
“This initiative is not just about art—it’s about preserving languages, traditions, and beliefs that are at risk of extinction. We invite all ethnic nationalities across our region to unite and visually narrate our unique stories by collaborating with the Wiki Niger Delta Heritage Collective.
“Let us amplify voices from the creeks—my people, our diversity, our strength. It is our culture that binds us together in this beautiful mosaic of identities.”
Also speaking on the partnership, Dappa Solomon, Convener and Community Lead of the Wiki Niger Delta Heritage Collective, said:
“This collaboration is about empowering Niger Delta youths to become custodians of their own narratives. From our masquerades and festivals to our food, languages, and everyday lives, these are stories that deserve global visibility. Through Wikimedia projects, we can preserve them for the next generation while making them accessible for research, education, and cultural exchange across the world.”
For over seven years, Solomon has been documenting the cultures and traditions of the Opobo Kingdom, his hometown, with a clear mission to preserve its heritage for generations to come. His work has since expanded across the Niger Delta, capturing traditions such as the Ogoni masquerades and the Onunu delicacy of the Ijaw people, reflecting his commitment to safeguarding and sharing the region’s diverse heritage.
About three years ago, Solomon joined the Wikimedia Foundation space, contributing cultural photographs and stories to Wikimedia Commons and other sister projects. It was through this work that he discovered the deep under-representation of Niger Delta heritage on global open-knowledge platforms. This gap inspired him to establish the Wiki Niger Delta Heritage Collective and to pursue partnerships such as this one with the Thought Pyramid Art Centre, which will help train and mentor young creatives to tell authentic Niger Delta stories.
Most recently, Solomon led the Wiki Niger Delta Heritage Collective team at the Bole Festival 2025, Africa’s largest food festival, with over 40,000 attendees. The team entered into a partnership with the festival organizers, which granted them media access to document the event. Their work not only improved the festival’s archival presence on Wikipedia but also preserved the cultural traditions surrounding bole, one of the Niger Delta’s most revered foods.
In 2024, Solomon’s dedication was nationally recognized when he won two Wikimedia User Group Nigeria awards, Wiki Loves Africa and Wiki Loves Folklore. These honors strengthened his resolve to build a thriving community of heritage documenters who will capture the Niger Delta’s vibrancy in photos, videos, and articles.
Through the Wiki Niger Delta Heritage Collective, Solomon is nurturing a movement where creatives can learn, contribute, and showcase their work, from festivals and oral traditions to cuisine, fashion, and languages.
“With the support of the Thought Pyramid Art Centre, this vision is set to reach even more young people, creating a future where the Niger Delta’s stories are preserved, celebrated, and shared with the world,” he said.
Credit: Vanguard
