The Federal Government has celebrated the graduation of 12 former Chibok schoolgirls from the American University of Nigeria, describing their achievement as a symbol of resilience, hope and triumph over adversity.
The graduates were among members of the institution’s Class of 2026 honoured during the university’s 17th Commencement Ceremony held in Yola.
The government also assured the graduates that its support would continue beyond their university education, pledging to help them achieve their future ambitions.
Vice President Kashim Shettima gave the assurance on Saturday through the Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission, Prof. Abdullahi Ribadu, during the ceremony where the beneficiaries of the Federal Government scholarship scheme received their degrees.
The 12 graduates are part of the 106 former abductees sponsored by the Federal Government to pursue higher education following their rescue from captivity.
In 2014, more than 200 schoolgirls were abducted from a secondary school in Chibok by insurgents. Although several of the girls have regained freedom over the years, many are still believed to be in captivity more than a decade after the incident.
Addressing the graduates, Shettima said: “Your country sees you. Your country is proud of you. Your country has not finished its obligations towards you.”
He commended the university management for creating a supportive academic environment and providing emotional care for the students.
He said,” This is more than an educational effort; it is a declaration that no young woman’s life should be permanently defined by the violence or hardship of her past.”
The Vice President urged the graduating students to contribute positively to national development, stressing that the country expected innovation, leadership and dedication from them.
“Your families made sacrifices to support your education. Your country has invested resources, time, and hope in your future. That investment must be repaid through service, innovation, leadership, and commitment to national progress,” he said.
“Nigeria needs graduates who are willing to engage with the country’s challenges honestly and courageously, in technology, agriculture, research, policy, and development. Your country needs you.”
Earlier, the Vice Chancellor of AUN, DeWayne Frazier, described the graduating students as transformational leaders prepared to make meaningful impacts in society.
Speaking on the graduation of the Chibok girls, he said: “this graduation is far more than the completion of a degree. It is a sacred moment of triumph over fear, resilience over trauma, and hope over everything that once tried to silence their future.”
He added that “when they cross that stage, they will carry with them not only their own dreams, but the prayers of families, communities, Nigeria, and people around the world who believed that their story must not end in captivity, pain, or loss.”
“Their graduation is a living testimony that education is still one of the most powerful forces on earth which says to every young girl that her life has value, her mind has power, and her future can still be reclaimed,” Frazier said.
An emotional Frazier noted that the ceremony represented courage, healing and renewed hope for the graduates and their families.
“To see them stand tall, receive their degrees, and step into the world as graduates of the American University of Nigeria will remind all of us why we do this work. Their courage will bless that stage, and their achievement will forever be part of AUN’s story. For many years, our cry was “Bring Back Our Girls,” but today, we sent our “girls” forward.”
Delivering the commencement lecture, award-winning journalist Stephanie Busari encouraged the graduates, especially the Chibok girls, to view their academic certificates as symbols of strength and empowerment.
She said: “To the 12 other girls, you were taken from your hostel in the middle of the night by men who believed that your education was a threat worth eliminating. They understood that education has power. What they failed to understand is that once that power takes root, in the present, it cannot be removed by force.”
Busari, whose 2015 proof-of-life interview with some of the abducted girls contributed to renewed negotiations for their release, urged the graduates to embrace the future with confidence and courage.
She further said, “You are not merely survivors of a story. You are authors of what comes next, and what you do from here will matter. Not only for yourselves, but for other young girls who are watching to see what is possible.”
“Among the 12 young women who were told that their story was over, sitting here, alongside every one of you who made your own quiet decision to keep going. Class of 2026, that part belongs to you now. Go ahead and live it forward.”
Busari also praised the determination and resilience shown by the graduating students throughout their academic journey.
“Every person in this room today has had to push through something. The circumstances may be different, but the effort is real,” she said.
To the graduating class, she added: “Your journeys may not be the same, but you made the same decision. To stay and push through and to finish, more importantly. You shared a way of thinking and of approaching difficulty.”
