Badagry Festival is an annual event held in Badagry, a town in Lagos State, Nigeria. It is organised by the African Renaissance Foundation. The event reflects the significance of the ancient town during the slave trade era. It is a convergence of culture and display of African heritage. The organizer brings the indegine and culture-loving fans from around the world to celebrate the festival. One of the major highlights is the artistic display by masquerades, dancers, and fire eaters. It features football competition, the beating of Sato drum, and Liberation Day Celebration.
History
The festival was initiated in 1999 to commemorate the end of the slave trade era and the significance of the ancient city during the period. The 2015 Badagry festival was tagged "Toussaint L'Ouverture: The Catalyst for the struggle for liberation of the black". The event started on 20 August and ended on 30 August 2015. The festival creates a platform in Nigeria of those from the African diaspora to reunite with their motherland. It was held at Badagry Grammar School, Badagry, Lagos, Nigeria.
City slave history
The name Badagry derives from the means of livelihood of the indigenous people of the city, which include fishing, farming, salt making. However, others believe the city was named after Agbedeh, a popular farmer, whose farm was named Agbadarigi, which was later pronounced Badagry by the Europeans. In the early 18th century Badagry served as a route for the Europeans when slaves were transported to the new destination of their buyers. It houses the cenotaph "Point of No Return", a place where the well was enchanted to ensure that slaves who drank from it forgot its destination. At the end of the 18th century, Badagry was one of the routes that benefited from the recurrent battle between Portnovo and Dahomey for the movement of slaves. Badagry was noted as the auction point for slaves captured during inter-village warfare. In 1983, Chief Mobee was among the African chiefs who participated in the slave trade. The first two-storey building was built in Marina, Badagry, in 1845. Presently, the site is facing massive environmental degradation due to lack of maintenance by the government, as well as the activities of commercial tree fellers. The government of Babatunde Fashola in an effort to reignite the glory of the city has started the construction of Badagry Expressway project, commissioning of Badagry Marina project.
