FG Allocates ₦1.85bn for Education, Rehabilitation of Rescued Chibok Girls
President Bola Tinubu has approved the release of ₦1.854 billion to support the education and rehabilitation of rescued Chibok schoolgirls, in what government officials describe as a demonstration of moral responsibility and long-term commitment to their future.
The allocation, which will run until 2027 under the Chibok Girls Intervention Programme, is designed to cover tuition, accommodation, psychosocial care, vocational training, medical services, and other essentials for the girls. At least 68 of them are currently enrolled at the American University of Nigeria (AUN), Yola, where the government has pledged to sustain their studies despite political affiliations, as the institution is owned by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.
A detailed breakdown shows that ₦389.6 million has been earmarked for the 2024/25 academic year tuition of 68 girls, while ₦515.7 million will go toward covering three years of tuition for another 30. Vocational training and starter packs for different groups of the girls will take up about ₦345 million, while provisions for accommodation, feeding, parental support, and NHIS enrolment also form part of the package.
The plan further includes ₦120 million for monitoring and evaluation, ₦150 million for food and essential supplies, and funds to cover medical and surgical care for one of the girls.
The Ministry of Education noted that the intervention was crafted to provide holistic rehabilitation, enabling the girls to not only complete their education but also reintegrate into society with dignity and independence.
“This is not merely an allocation of funds; it is a reaffirmation of the nation’s commitment to transform a tragic chapter into a story of resilience and hope,” the ministry stated.
The Chibok schoolgirls were abducted in April 2014 from Government Girls Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State, by Boko Haram insurgents, sparking global outrage and the #BringBackOurGirls campaign. Out of the 276 girls originally taken, many have since regained their freedom, but dozens remain unaccounted for.
With this renewed investment, the government hopes to secure the education, health, and social welfare of the freed girls, while signaling that their ordeal has not been forgotten.
