Vice President Kashim Shettima has said the graduation of 12 Chibok schoolgirls abducted on April 14, 2014, has renewed hope for women’s education in Nigeria and beyond.
Speaking at the 17th graduation ceremony of the American University of Nigeria in Yola, Adamawa State, on Saturday, Shettima—represented by the Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission, Prof. Abdullahi Ribadu—commended the institution for providing a supportive environment that enabled the girls to complete their university education.
He said the graduation of the 12 Chibok schoolgirls symbolises the importance of girls’ education to national development.
Busari said, “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.”
“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.
“After the initial coverage, the story began to fade. The news cycle moved on, the way it always does. There were moments I wondered whether continuing to push the story mattered at all.”
Also speaking at the ceremony, the President of AUN, Dewayne Frazier, said the graduation of the 12 Chibok schoolgirls reflects the university’s mission as a development-focused institution and proves that it is possible to turn trauma into academic success.
He said, “These graduates now stand as beacons of light for the Northeast and the world. Their success sends a powerful message: education is the most proven tool for healing and transformation, capable of reclaiming lives and building a brighter, more secure future for Nigeria.”
Frazier also appreciated the Ministry of Women Affairs for sponsoring the girls’ education at AUN.
In total, 276 girls were abducted by Boko Haram militants from the Government Girls Secondary School in Chibok on the night of April 14, 2014. While some escaped immediately or were later released, many others remain unaccounted for.
Over 180 of the girls have been freed or managed to escape over the years, some of them with children born during captivity.
As of early 2026, reports indicate that more than 80 are still missing, with their whereabouts unknown.
