A decade after the heart-wrenching abduction of 276 schoolgirls in Borno State captured global attention, Emmy-winning director Joel’ Kachi Benson is set to unveil a compelling feature documentary, “Mothers of Chibok.” This film will hit cinemas across Nigeria and Ghana on February 27, 2026, achieving the distinction of being the most extensive theatrical distribution for a locally produced Nigerian documentary to date.
From Tragedy to Strength
Although the global #BringBackOurGirls campaign has faded from the headlines, the unwavering resolve of the mothers of the missing girls has not. “Mothers of Chibok” shifts focus from the initial act of terror to the remarkable resilience of the women who remain. The documentary highlights the stories of four brave women—Yana Galang, Ladi Lawan, Lydia Yama, and Maryam Maiyanga—over the course of a single farming season. In the backdrop of Boko Haram’s terror and the heartache of having their daughters still missing, these women work diligently in their fields to secure an education for their remaining children. The film poignantly contrasts the dire circumstances of a region where education is under threat with the mothers’ unwavering commitment to their children’s schooling.
A Sequel to a Groundbreaking Work
This documentary serves as a feature-length continuation of Benson’s acclaimed 2019 virtual reality short, “Daughters of Chibok,” which made history as the first African film to win the Venice Lion for Best Immersive Story. Benson, who recently garnered acclaim for his Disney+ documentary “Madu,” spent years building a relationship with the Chibok community. He expressed in a recent interview, “I wanted to look beyond the sorrow. What I found was pure resilience and the bravery of women determined to keep hope alive.”
Production and Key Collaborations
Produced by JB Multimedia Studios in collaboration with Hunting Lane and Impact Partners, and executive produced by legendary Nollywood actress Joke Silva, “Mothers of Chibok” is distributed by FilmOne Entertainment, reflecting an increasing appetite for documentary storytelling in Nigeria’s film industry. The documentary has already received several international recognitions, including the Encounters Al Jazeera Award for Best African Feature-Length Documentary at the Encounters Film Festival in South Africa, as well as a successful world premiere at DocNYC.
Significance of This Release
Traditionally, Nigerian documentaries have found their place mostly at film festivals or on streaming platforms. The wide theatrical release of “Mothers of Chibok” on February 27 marks a pivotal moment in Nollywood’s evolution, showcasing that real-life narratives of heroism and perseverance hold equal merit to traditional blockbuster films.
As Yana Galang, one of the featured mothers, poignantly states in the film, “We still send our children to school because… they are the future of tomorrow.”
