Nigerian revolutionary intellectual Edwin Madunagu turns 80, celebrates lifetime of resistance
Edwin Ikechukwu Madunagu marks his 80th birthday today (May 15, 2026), celebrating over five decades as Nigeria's revolutionary intellectual. Born during British colonial rule in 1946, the mathematician-turned-Marxist challenged military regimes, corruption, and capitalist exploitation through writings, lectures, and activism that cost him personal liberty and academic position. His intellectual legacy includes founding SOLAR (Socialist Library and Archives) to preserve radical political history, creating the CMA program to challenge toxic masculinity, and authoring influential works like 'The Philosophy of Violence' (1976) and 'Understanding Nigeria and the New Imperialism' (2006). Despite losing his wife and comrade Benedicta in 2024 and fellow scholar Biodun Jeyifo in 2025, Madunagu remains committed to revolutionary endurance. Comrades, students, workers, and activists will gather today not merely to celebrate a birthday, but to honor a lifetime of resistance that continues to inspire. As Madunagu charges the younger generation: 'Refuse neutrality in the face of exploitation.'