The Vice President, Sen. Kashim Shettima GCON has described the graduation of 12 former Chibok schoolgirls from the American University of Nigeria as a symbol of hope for women’s education in Nigeria and beyond.
VP Shettima made the remarks during the university’s 17th graduation ceremony held in Yola on Saturday. He was represented at the event by the Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission, Abdullahi Ribadu.
He commended the university for creating an enabling environment that allowed the former abducted girls to complete their university education despite the trauma they endured.
According to him, the graduation of the 12 Chibok girls represents resilience, recovery, and the importance of educating women as a critical part of national development.
The girls were among the students abducted by Boko Haram fighters from Government Girls Secondary School, Chibok, on April 14, 2014.
Speaking during the event, journalist and conflict reporter, Aisha Busari, recalled obtaining a proof-of-life video of the girls at a time many people feared they had been forgotten.
“A year before, I had obtained a vital proof-of-life video that showed these young women were still alive at a time when the world had started to forget about them,” she said.
Busari stated that the footage later contributed to negotiations that eventually led to the release of some of the abducted girls.
“At the time, we did not know if the work would make any difference. We did it because the alternative was silence, and silence felt like complicity,” she added.
The President of AUN, Dewayne Frazier, said the graduation validated the institution’s mission of using education as a tool for healing and transformation.
“These graduates now stand as beacons of light for the Northeast and the world,” Frazier said.
He also commended the Ministry of Women Affairs for sponsoring the girls’ education.
A total of 276 schoolgirls were abducted during the 2014 Chibok attack. While many have escaped or regained freedom over the years, reports indicate that more than 80 girls remain missing.