Workshop

Github Workshop

Motunrayo Adeneye

September 6th, 2025

Introduction

The Github Workshop organized by OpenSourceNest, Africa was a 6-days program focused on how to use Git and Github. The program taught the learner on how to manage code, collaborate and contribute like a pro. The program ran from September 1-6, 2025 which included a series of sessions led by amazing instructors. The included topics such as Introduction to git and github, github basics, branching and merging, collaboration and pull requests, advanced git and github and automation and best practices. At the final phase of the program, the participants are taught how to manage code changes, collaborate with others, and contribute to real-world projects using industry-standard workflows.

Goals and Objectives

• Equip participants, especially beginners with the practical skills and confidence to use Git and GitHub effectively for version control, collaboration, and open-source contribution.
• Encourage the participants to actively contribute to projects using git and github.
• Promote collaboration by teaching participants how to work in distributed teams through branches, pull requests, and issues.
• Equip students with access to valuable learning resources through the GitHub Student Developer Pack.

Application and Participation Distribution

• 279 applications from Nigeria
• 159 participants
• 8 instructors

Team and Stakeholders Project team

• Victoria Ofuasia - Co founder, OpenSourceNest
• Francis Onukwu - Co founder, OpenSourceNest
• Motunrayo Adeneye - Program Manager, OpenSourceNest

Program Overview

This section provides a detailed breakdown of the program’s structure according to the days of the workshop

Events and Activities

The event started September 1st and ended September 6th, 2025. The workshop took place on Google Meet.

Day 1: Introduction to Git and GitHub

This workshop was focused on the This workshop was focused on the basics of version control and setting up a GitHub workflow. Participants learned the core concepts of Git, including how it helps track changes in projects and collaborate effectively with others. He also explored the difference between Git and GitHub, understanding that Git is a version control system while GitHub is a platform for hosting and sharing repositories.

Day 2: Git basics

This session focused on understanding how Git repositories work, distinguishing between local and remote repositories. Participants learned how to initialize a new repository using git init and followed the basic Git workflow, including staging changes with git add, saving them with git commit, and checking project status using git status. The session also covered how to view commit history with git log and connect a local repository to GitHub using git remote add and git push commands.

Day 3: Branching and Merging

This session focused on mastering branching strategies—a crucial part of effective version control and collaborative development. Learners explored why branches matter, how they enable parallel development, and how to manage them efficiently. Participants learned how to create and switch branches using git branch and git checkout -b, as well as how to merge branches with git merge. The session also covered the difference between fast-forward and non-fast-forward merges, along with techniques for resolving simple merge conflicts that arise during collaboration.

Day 4: Collaboration and Pull Requests

This session immersed learners in the essentials of collaborative development using GitHub. From forking repositories to raising pull requests, participants experienced the true spirit of teamwork and open-source contribution. Important topics the tutor emphasized on is the difference between forks and branches, cloning repositories for local development, and exploring pull requests (PRs) their purpose, importance, and role in collaboration. Learners also practiced reviewing code, leaving feedback, and merging pull requests effectively.

Day 5: Advanced Git & GitHub Features

This session explored advanced concepts and tools to enhance productivity and collaboration in Git and GitHub. Participants learned how to undo mistakes using commands like git reset, git revert, and git checkout, as well as the basics of rebasing with git rebase to maintain a clean commit history. The session also covered how to temporarily save work using git stash. On the GitHub side, participants were introduced to Issues and Discussions for managing tasks and team communication, GitHub Projects for visual project management using Kanban boards, and the GitHub Wiki for creating and maintaining project documentation.

Day 6: Automation & Best practices

The final session emphasized automation, collaboration standards, and professional GitHub practices. Learners explored how to write clear and meaningful commit messages that improve project history readability and team communication. They were introduced to GitHub Actions as an entry point to Continuous Integration and Continuous Deployment (CI/CD), learning how automation can streamline workflows.The session also covered essential repository management and contribution practices, including setting up branch protection rules, defining CODEOWNERS, and writing contributing guidelines to maintain code quality and collaboration standards. Participants reviewed open-source best practices, such as maintaining a comprehensive README, adding a LICENSE, and configuring a proper .gitignore file. In the concluding segment, learners were introduced to the GitHub Student Developer Pack, discovering what it is, how to apply, and exploring the tools, benefits, and free learning resources it offers to support their growth as developers.

Achievements

This achievement demonstrates strong foundational skills in version control, collaboration, and open-source workflow management which is the key competencies for modern software development

Conclusion

The GitHub Workshop was a success and a significant milestone for us. The program was well-received by participants and served as a valuable learning experience for both the learners and the organizing team.
This achievement has set the foundation for future workshops, and we’re excited to build on the lessons learned to create even more engaging and impactful learning experiences for our community.