Participants at the event posed with the Founder of CMA, Comrade Edwin Madunagu (centre) at the event on Saturday in Calabar.
By Ita Williams, Calabar
In a renewed effort to combat gender prejudice and promote critical thinking among young boys, the Conscientizing Nigerian Male Adolescents (CMA) Programme has returned to Calabar, 30-Years after reviving drive against sexism in adolescent boys
The 2025/2026 session was officially re-launched on Saturday, October 18 at the Conference Hall of the National Museum and Monuments, Calabar.
The event, organized by the Socialist Library and Archives (SOLAR), brought together students from 10 pilot secondary schools in Calabar, including Government Secondary School, Atu; Pin-Margret Secondary School; and Hope Waddell Training Institution and others.
It also featured guest lectures, interactive sessions, and a commitment to revive the three-decade-old project aimed at fostering equality and critical consciousness among Nigerian adolescents.
Delivering the welcome address, the Coordinator of SOLAR , Comrade Chido Onumah described the CMA Programme as “a beacon of hope and transformation for young adolescents in Cross River and Akwa Ibom States.”
He noted that since its establishment in 1995, the CMA has graduated more than 13,500 male adolescents, equipping them with the intellectual tools to challenge sexist prejudices and patriarchal norms in society.
“This programme was born out of deep concern for the well-being and potential of our male adolescents,” Onumah said adding, “For 30 years, we have championed equality, critical consciousness, and responsible citizenship. CMA is not just an academic project; it is a social transformation tool.”
He emphasized that the program’s motto, “Education of Nigerian Male Adolescents Against Sexist Prejudices and for Critical Consciousness”, remains its driving principle.
“We believe that by fostering critical thinking, challenging harmful stereotypes, and promoting equality, we can empower young men to become agents of positive change,” he added.
Onumah expressed gratitude to Open Society Foundation (OSF) for its continued support and reaffirmed SOLA’s commitment to expanding the programme’s reach.
He concluded with a powerful reflection from the organization’s founder, Comrade Edwin Madunagu, who had said in 1997, “The problem posed by gender violence is how to construct a state and community where gender violence is regarded as the greatest crime against humanity and punished accordingly, and where victims receive unconditional solidarity and rehabilitation.”
Speaking at the event, Dr. Madunagu, a former Guardian Newspaper columnist, founding member, and Administrator of SOLAR , explained the philosophy behind the CMA initiative.
“CMA is about conscientizing Nigerian male adolescents,” he said. “To conscientize means to teach in a way that both the teacher and the learner are transformed. A teacher who goes into class and comes out after 60 minutes without learning something has not truly taught.”
Madunagu explained that the goal of the programme is to help young boys recognize and reject harmful beliefs and practices against women that are often passed down through tradition.
“This programme helps them to see for themselves the evil of prejudice, not because someone told them so, but because they can think critically and identify injustice,” he said. “When these boys go back to their homes, schools, and communities, they will be the real judges of the change we seek.”
He emphasized that the CMA approach encourages self-discovery, questioning of societal norms, and mutual respect between genders. “They must learn that nobody is a monopoly of knowledge,” Madunagu stressed.
In his lecture titled “Sexism, Biology, and Consciousness,” Dr Uwe Edeke, a lecturer from the Department of Mathematics and Statistics at the University of Calabar, and a Coordinator, CMA Programme for SOLAR , spoke on the biological and social roots of sexism.
He defined sexism as “all forms of discrimination based on sex,” noting that traditional and institutional structures often place women at a disadvantage.
“Many of these practices are rooted in ignorance and misinformation,” Dr Edeke said noting that, “our society is largely sexist and male-dominated. This reflects in the behavior of adolescent boys who often engage in violence or substance abuse to prove dominance. We want to change that mindset before adulthood.”
He described conscientization as a teaching method that helps learners question and reason objectively about societal norms. “We subject the discriminatory beliefs of society to critical thinking, to determine whether they are true or false,” he added.
Dr Edeke also highlighted funding challenges since 2010, which had slowed the program’s reach. “We are reviving CMA this year with 10 pilot schools, each represented by five adolescent boys,” he said.
“Our long-term goal is to expand to more schools across Calabar Metropolis and eventually beyond.”
Among the students who participated were Master Samuel Benjamin of Government Secondary School, Atu; Stephen Daniel of Pin-Margret Secondary School; and Joseph Edem of Hope Waddell Training Institution, Calabar, each describing the experience as enlightening and life-changing.
Benjamin said he learned to view gender relations differently: “Before now, I thought certain roles were meant only for men, but this seminar made me understand that both men and women have equal capacities. I will take this message to my classmates and friends.”
Daniel on his part, emphasized the power of questioning and critical reasoning, saying, “the programme taught me not to just accept what elders or society say without thinking deeply about it. I have learned that respect for women and equality make society stronger.”
For Edem, the workshop was an awakening: “I now understand that prejudice against girls is not just unfair but harmful to everyone. I feel more responsible to speak against discrimination wherever I see it.”
