By Tayo Joseph Lagos, Nigeria.
As Nigeria commemorates the 3rd anniversary of the abduction of the Chibok
Girls, several public events and efforts by different groups and individuals
remind us of the sad occurrence and the attendant urgency of a final resolution.
One of such efforts
is by ABDAM Creative Media, which was granted access by the Federal Government
in its production of a 26-minute documentary, titled COMING HOME, highlighting
the impact of the tragedy that Boko Haram unleashed on Nigeria, as well as the
determination of the Buhari Administration to defeat Boko Haram and ensure the
freedom of the terrorist group’s thousands of captives, including the rest of
the girls abducted from the Government Secondary School, Chibok, on the night
of April 14, 2014.
COMING HOME features exclusive footage/interviews with the 24 rescued girls, who are all currently in the care of the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, which has developed a 9-month programme of rehabilitation and reintegration for them. This programme, which includes a special Remedial and Vocational Education component, kicked off in January 2017, after the girls returned from their first visit home to Chibok, in December 2016.
The Government of the State of Osun recently donated customized Educational Computer Tablets – ‘Opon Imo’ (Tablet of Knowledge) to the rescued girls. Opon Imo is pre-loaded with the Government-approved educational curriculum, covering Senior Secondary School (SSS) 1, 2 and 3, and is credited with producing a significant improvement in West African Examination Council (WAEC) results in the State of Osun.
The COMING HOME documentary features the Wife of the President, Mrs Aisha Muhammadu Buhari; the Wife of the Vice President, Mrs Dolapo Osinbajo; the Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Senator Aisha Jummai Alhassan; the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed; the Chairman of the Chibok Girls Parents Association, Yakubu Nkeki; and the girls’ caregivers. ABDAM CREATIVE MEDIA is a Lagos-based firm with a passion for non-profit public advocacy work. The production of COMING HOME was supported by the Federal Government of Nigeria, through the Presidency Office of Digital Engagement (PODE).