By Bestman Michael

Following the founding congress of the MSA in 2021, comrades from across the country gathered once again from February 28 and March 1, 2026 to reflect on the new historical roles for the organisation and the tasks ahead amidst the global capitalist crises.

With the 2027 election in sight, amidst the excruciating crises that working people are placed in, regime after regime, it was paramount to assess the challenges confronting the working masses under the Tinubu-led government since assuming power in 2023.

This trend, year in and year out, where budgetary allocation to education has either been stagnant or barely up to the benchmark set by UNESCO and the UN, was extensively discussed at the Student and Youth Meeting on Friday, the day before the Congress began. There, comrades discussed the crises in the education sector and shared their domestic experiences around the issues students and youths face. At the University of Ilesha, there are reports about the epileptic power supply, the accommodation crises, and the question of a proscribed student union. These issues are also replicated in other places like OAU, UNIBEN, and so on. The attack on student activism and unionism is not isolated. Students’ rights have been stifled to the point where speaking up is synonymous with disrespecting the authority of the management. Also, the state of primary and secondary schools is comatose: no teachers, overcrowded classrooms, and an unconducive learning environment.

All this leaves many working-class students and youths open to being used as political tools, and as the economic crises deepen, they face unemployment and social and even food insecurity. This further places the working class generally in a state of retrogression, as puppets constantly used by the ruling class to serve their selfish interests.

Comrade Dagga would elaborate on all these at the political discussion of the Nigerian perspective. The topic was “Assessing the Tinubu Regime and the Challenges Confronting the Working Masses”; once again the ruling capitalist class has failed the working people. The speaker drew instances from the current crises befalling key sectors of the economy: electricity, health, education, etc. In fact, the economic realities from the very onset that Tinubu came to power have been bleak. There has been a horrendous surge in neoliberal policies. There was the removal of the fuel subsidy, the hike in the electricity tariff, and the introduction of the student loan scheme, which all led to the increase in fees and the commercialisation of education across the universities in the country.

Since Tinubu came to power, the country has shrunk to barbarism. We witness more bandit attacks and kidnappings. Despite the budget allocated to defence and security, being the second highest after debt servicing, the working people continue to live in fear and in the uncertainty that they will see the next day. In fact, the “Christian genocide” had American troops storm the North on Trump’s orders. Yet, the insecurity crises are yet to be resolved.

In Lagos, as other comrades contributed, in places like Maroko and Makoko, houses are unremorsefully demolished. This starkly shows that profits are put first before the living conditions of the working people. While MSA has actively, through its front, participated in these struggles against these capitalist onslaughts, the question of housing systems continues to erode the reality of the ordinary people even in urban-centred areas where rents are higher than the minimum wage.

Prices of commodities have reached heights that are no longer affordable for working people. The health sector is in shambles. And with the new tax laws, the ruling class (the tiny 1%) continues to milk the wealth generated by the working class. Yet, the Tinubu machinery is concerned about securing his reign for another four years. The current ruling APC party already has governors in 30 states. Since Peter Obi’s exit from the Labour Party, the question of a viable workers’ party has been on the front burner. Are there any political alternatives? All comrades agree that there is a need to build a socialist alternative, rooted in class consciousness.

While these efforts are ongoing to consolidate the working-class struggle, the systemic failures in Nigeria continue to repeat themselves globally. This was fully captured in the lead-off by two international comrades from the US Eric Jenkins and the UK sections Andy Moxley. They spoke extensively on how global capitalism is at the precipice. For more than two years, the world has witnessed and is still witnessing wars and conflicts break out. We have seen the war in the Middle East intensify. In Germany, more than 55,000 students went on strike action against the conscription policy that compulsorily finds young people being recruited into the military. In America, there is a brewing dissatisfaction over the Trump administration.

What needs to be done?

Being a two-day event, these discussions around the Nigerian and world perspectives brought to fore the need to build a class-conscious revolutionary organisation. The keynote led by Comrade Adams examined the work of the organisation since the Founding Congress. He pointed to key interventions made in the working-class struggle and mentioned the progress of the paper sales of average sale of around 600 copies with target to hit the 1000. That have both opened possibilities for fertile ground to push the ideas of socialism: on campuses, in the trade unions, and in the community. There were resolutions to push campaigns on some of the issues in the student, women’s, and workers’ wings as part of efforts to solidify recruitment and consolidation. All these led to discussions around organisational structure, constitution, finance, and so on. A total fighting fund of 300,000 naira was raised in the two day event that had the attendance of 52 persons.

The Congress ended on a high note with solidarity songs, reflecting the collective spirit and unity of the comrades. Participants reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening and building a revolutionary organisation capable of intervening in the struggles of the working class. There was also a renewed determination among comrades to consolidate and expand our base in workplaces, campuses, and communities in the period ahead.