Revolutionary activist, scholar, and feminist Comrade Bene Madunagu will be buried on January 17, 2025, marking a legacy of activism.
The funeral committee for Comrade Bene Madunagu, a revolutionary activist, scholar, and feminist, has announced plans to lay her to rest on Friday, 17 January 2025.
The interment will be preceded by a celebration of her life and legacy on Thursday, 16 January, featuring a feminist forum, cultural performances, tributes, and a funeral conference.
Comrade Bene, born Benedicta Afangide on 21 March 1947, hailed from Afangide and Ikwek, Afaha Obong in Akwa Ibom State.
A scholar of repute, she obtained her education from the University of Lagos and the University of Ibadan, beginning her academic career as an assistant lecturer at the University of Lagos before joining the University of Calabar in 1976.
Her life was a blend of academic excellence and unrelenting activism.
As a professor of Botany, she mentored countless students while engaging in ideological struggles for progress and equity.
Alongside her spouse, Comrade Edwin Madunagu, she faced dismissal from her academic post in 1978 during the nationwide “Ali Must Go” protests against the commercialisation of education under General Olusegun Obasanjo’s military government.
The couple was reinstated years later by President Shehu Shagari’s administration, undeterred in their commitment to academic and social activism.
Comrade Bene was a pioneer in feminist activism in Nigeria. She played a key role in forming Women in Nigeria (WIN) and chaired the executive board of the Girls’ Power Initiative (GPI), championing the health and empowerment of girls and women.
Her steadfast dedication to the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) led her to become the first female chairperson of its University of Calabar branch and a member of its national executive.
Her impact extended beyond academia and activism. A recipient of numerous awards, she was recognised by Cross River State as an “Erudite Scholar and Advocate of Equality and Girl Child Rights” in 2005 and by the Centre for Reproductive Rights at the University of California.
She was also a Fellow of the MacArthur Foundation and a member of scientific organisations, including the Botanical Society of Nigeria.
A statement by Professor Biodun Jeyifo, representing the funeral planning committee, hailed her as “a leading light of the Nigerian Left.”
Her unwavering commitment to democratic struggles and her exceptional consistency of purpose solidified her legacy as a beacon of hope and change.
Comrade Bene is survived by her spouse of over 50 years, Comrade Edwin Madunagu, her children – Mrs Unoma Madunagu-Agrinya, Ikenna Madunagu, and Michael Madunagu – and a vast community of comrades and friends.
Her funeral events will serve not only to honour her memory but also to inspire future generations to continue her work in activism, feminism, and social justice.
