The Story⚡
Four Chibok mothers, Lydia, Mariam, Ladi and Yana, took the stage at a packed Filmhouse IMAX Lekki for the premiere of Mothers of Chibok. Their groundnut farms now fund school fees and family needs more than a decade after the 2014 abduction.
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Directed by Kachi Benson and executively produced by Joke Silva, the documentary centres on the four women who have built a groundnut farming operation into a working economic model. Benson, who first spent time with them in 2018, explained his choice to shift the focus: “There’s more to these women than the pain. I chose to focus on the beauty, the dignity, the grace. Spending time with them was an inspiration. Watching them wake up every day with the resolve to build a better life for their children helped me rethink contentment and what truly matters.”
The mothers spoke directly to the audience, thanking guests and stressing that education is the foundation for their community, while their farming income pays the school fees. Seyitan Atigarin of Arise Television hosted the evening, and Lola Ogunnaike moderated the post-screening fireside chat. Ogunnaike named the women one by one and described “the indomitable spirit of these women. Their ingenuity.”
Joke Silva pointed to the core message of dignity: “Out of the ashes of what they have been through, these women look dignified and are focused on how their children must go to school no matter what. Tragedy happens, but the important thing is that people must be allowed to get to the other side with respect.”
Benson described how the team moved beyond filming to practical support. Soil tests led to improved seeds, fertiliser and training in Yola. The result was a recorded 100 percent increase in yield — one mother, Hanatu, moved from three bags in 2024 to twenty-nine bags in 2025. The model has now added value by processing the groundnuts in Lagos into peanut butter and other products sold under the Mothers of Chibok name.
Nine women are currently part of the structured programme, with plans to scale to one hundred participants in the 2026 farming cycle. The average cost per woman for land rental, training, seeds, fertiliser, labour and storage is ₦1.5 million. Yana thanked Benson and the team for the journey and said the improved inputs have made farming more sustainable, while calling for continued support to expand the work.
The event drew diplomats, policymakers, cultural leaders and Nollywood figures, including Stella Damasus and Ngozi Nwosu, along with representatives from the Danish mission, the United States and Italy. A standing ovation followed the screening. Benson said he wants audiences to leave with admiration for the women as architects of their own future. The film is now showing in cinemas nationwide through FilmOne Entertainment.
In Summary
The Mothers of Chibok peanut butter will be stocked at The Gather House in Ikoyi throughout March, and donations for seeds, fertiliser, irrigation and training can be made at mothersofchibok.com through the Uwaosi Rhoda Foundation. Viewers see steady progress and economic agency rather than pity.
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