"This is a Promise, Not a Donation": Peter Obi Steps In to Aid Chibok Students Amid Stark Neglect

 

A visit to Chibok may be impossible for now due to security risks, but that didn’t stop Peter Obi from reaching the hearts—and needs—of its struggling schoolchildren. The former governor and Labour Party presidential candidate has once again put his principles into practice by stepping in where the system has failed.

Chibok’s name has long evoked memories of tragedy. More than a decade after the 2014 mass abduction of schoolgirls by Boko Haram shocked the world, the community continues to bear the scars—not just emotionally, but also infrastructurally. At the very school where over 200 girls were kidnapped, the learning environment remains alarmingly inadequate. A school with over 2,500 students reportedly had just one working desktop computer, no functional laboratories, and no reliable source of electricity.

This grim situation was brought to light after activist and Bring Back Our Girls co-convener, Aisha Yesufu, contacted Obi with a sobering update. She urged him to contribute two more computers and possibly install solar-powered lighting to support a minimal digital learning setup.

Although willing to personally visit Chibok and inspect the situation, Obi was dissuaded from doing so due to escalating security concerns in the region. Instead, a meeting was swiftly arranged in Abuja between Obi and leaders of the Chibok community, courtesy of Aisha Yesufu’s coordination.

During the meeting, Obi donated 10 laptop computers and 3 printers to the representatives of the community. Alongside the equipment, he provided a sum of ₦6 million to support specific developmental needs: ₦2 million each for equipping a laboratory, powering a computer classroom with solar energy, and establishing a handheld motorised borehole to address the school’s water needs.

"This is not a donation," Obi emphasized. “This is a commitment, a promise to the future of our community.” His statement underscores a critical shift from philanthropic symbolism to actionable intervention, an approach he’s been known for throughout his political career.

What should have been a moment of pride and progress left Obi with a gnawing sense of concern. The situation in Chibok led him to a deeper reflection on the enduring consequences of leadership failure. He questioned how a country so abundant in resources continues to leave its youth without the basic tools of education.

Across Nigeria, the contrast between the living standards of public officials and the average citizen has grown starker. The former Anambra State governor used the opportunity to critique the pervasive culture of excess among political elites. He referenced billions spent on luxuries—renovating conference centres, constructing elaborate car parks, and furnishing residences with world-class amenities—while schools across the country continue to operate without basic materials such as books, pencils, or electricity.

Such disparity, according to Obi, points to a national crisis of priorities. “Occasions like this are deeply disturbing,” he said. “They force one to reflect and personally question the rising cost of misgovernance.”

For Obi, education remains one of the non-negotiables in the development blueprint of any serious nation. His message is a call to both leaders and citizens to push for a paradigm shift—one that realigns the country’s budgetary compass toward critical sectors like education, healthcare, and poverty alleviation. He urged Nigerians to undertake collective self-examination and press for meaningful development rather than ceremonial grandstanding.

Obi’s intervention in Chibok may not solve all of the community’s problems overnight, but it shines a spotlight on what can be achieved through focused, intentional action. More importantly, it renews attention on the community itself—a place that was once the epicenter of global outrage but has since been relegated to the background of national discourse.

As the memory of the abducted girls endures and the fate of 70 still remains uncertain, the world must be reminded that Chibok is not just a symbol of past trauma—it is also a living, breathing community still yearning for a future. And it will take more than donations to get them there; it will take a national reckoning.

For now, Peter Obi’s effort may be a small light in a long tunnel, but for the students of Chibok, it is proof that they have not been forgotten.