Professor Benedicta Madunagu, a pioneering feminist, revolutionary socialist, human rights activist, and distinguished botanist, passed away on November 26, 2024, in Calabar, Cross River State, Nigeria, at the age of 77.

A lifelong committed revolutionary and scholar, Comrade Bene (as she was fondly called) was a prominent figure in the Nigerian Left, dedicated to social justice, gender empowerment, and progressive political transformation. She was a professor of Botany at the University of Calabar and co-founder of the influential Girls' Power Initiative (GPI), an organization committed to girls' and young women's empowerment.

Born in Afaha-Essang, Akwa Ibom State, Professor Madunagu's academic journey began at the University of Lagos, where she pursued graduate studies in Botany. Together with her husband, Edwin Madunagu, she was a key member of several revolutionary organizations, including the Calabar Group of Socialists and the Anti-Poverty Movement of Nigeria (APMON).

Bene was renowned for her exceptional contributions to academic research, feminist activism, and socialist revolutionary movements. She was particularly celebrated for her work with GPI, where she transformed the lives of countless young women from disadvantaged backgrounds, providing them with material supports, critical knowledge and insights about their place in the world.

A stalwart in the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), she was widely respected for her principled leadership, intellectual rigor, and unwavering commitment to social change. Her inaugural lecture on Plant-Human Relationships in 2012 was a testament to her scholarly brilliance.

She is survived by her husband, Edwin Madunagu, three children (Unoma, Ikenna and Michael), and numerous comrades, colleagues, students, and friends who were inspired by her lifelong dedication to social justice and human rights.

A celebration of her remarkable life will be announced by the immediate family in due course.