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Saturday 29 September 2007

The History of Badagry Slave Trade

I'm sure most of you know that Badagry was an important slave route in West Africa during the Slave Trade era.

This ancient town of Badagry was founded around l425 A.D. Before its existence, people lived along the Coast of Gberefu and this area later gave birth to the town of Badagry. It is the second largest commercial town in Lagos State, located an hour from Lagos and half hour from the Republic du Benin. The Town of Badgry is bordered on the south by the Gulf of Guinea and surrounded by creeks, islands and a lake. The ancient town served mainly the Oyo Empire which was comprised of Yoruba and Ogu people. Today, the Aworis and Egun are mainly the people who reside in the town of Badagry as well as in Ogun State in Nigeria and in the neighboring Republic of Benin.
In the early 1500's, slaves were transported from West Africa to America through Badagry. It is reported that Badagry exported no fewer than 550,000 African slaves to America during the period of the American Independence in l787. In addition, slaves were transported to Europe, South America and the Caribbean. The slaves came mainly from West Africa and the neighboring countries of Benin and Togo as well as others parts of Nigeria. The slave trade became the major source of income for the Europeans in Badagry.


The town of Badagry wants to enlighten the world to its historic sites, landscapes, cultural artifacts and relics of human slavery. They are preserving buildings, sites and memories of this iniquitous period so that tourists can unearth the dark impact of this era. Places of interest include the Palace of the Akran of Badagry and its mini ethnographic museum, the early missionaries cemetery, the District Officer's Office and Residence, the First Storey Building in Nigeria constructed by the Anglican missionaries, relics of slave chains in the mini museum of slave trade, cannons of war, the Vlekte slave Market, and the Slave Port established for the shipment of slaves before the l6th century.


Here's a history of the slave trade in Badagry in pictures


The holding cell for men, used just prior to sending the men off to the boat


This is the wharf from which the slaves were transported across the water to the "Point of No Return".

The slave market at Posuko was the main center of the Slave Trade.

A plaque officially commissioning the Badagry Slave Route ProjectMay 18, 1999


The "Point of No Return is across the water, just to the right of the boat.

Slavery was abolished in 1886. This cannon was used to enforce the law.


Entry way to the wharf.


Another view of the wharf, from which the slaves left for points unknown


First copy of the Bible translated into Yoruba language by Rev. Gollmer.


Revd Thomas Birch Freeman, first missionary from England to Nigeria.


Freeman Memorial Methodist Cathedral.


First Storey building in Nigeria.


This is the Slave Relics Museum, where relics from the Badagry Slave Trade era are being kept.

Badagry is a place y'all need to visit. I've been there once but didn't get the opportunity to tour the place, but I plan to do so before the end of year. Anyone wants to go with me? Holla at me.

If you learnt anything new today...drop a comment! Kisses! Linda

24 comments:

  1. Hello LInda,
    You need to go visit Badagry , it really is interesting, gone there once and i was really uhmm,.... cannot say impressed but it was quite educative and thot provoking . All I can say is this , by the time you go to all the places, you will almost hate oyinbo pple, and you will also realize our leaders have always been selfish, if not why have they sold pple for worthless items. It is well with NIgeria.

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  2. thanks for some enlightening info
    can I ask if you know anything about the maroons?

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  3. Very educating. Good work as usual girl.

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  4. Thanks for sharing, Ms Linda. Been there and was shocked by the images and works, to think of what our great grand parents underwent...sad :(

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  5. Linda, I have always wondered why we have lost of issues and can't seem to get it together-political,economic,sociale.t.c. especially in Nigeria. Reading these very very informative piece, I am sking myself, are we a cursed nation? Is the blood of our ancestors soem of whom died before being transported to foreign shores not on Nigeria's hands, its children and future generations? What are your thoughts?

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  6. I would love to visit someday!!!

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  7. @ DOG: Maroons ke? LOL. Dude, this ain't Canada you know. Badagry is like downtown- nah mean? Glad to see you here, although you didn't mention my name for introducing you. *fuming* LOL.
    @ Linda, like i told you, this is my new id. (I hope you know who this is). You can also view my blog on invite. Would mail you one. Please email and let me know if you don't get it.
    Stay cool babe.

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  8. @ladybrille, I don't think our land is cursed. We just have a history. Our problems aren't caused by our fore fathers, but rather, by the people who have been ruling us for the past 20 years or so...so many other countries like Ghana went through slavery but they are not as messed up as we are...blame it on bad governance and greed!

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  9. I'm so glad dat it's becoming a tourist attraction now. Hope to visit when next i come back home.

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  10. Very interesting, I'm very big on African/black history, sad how little of our culture and history we preserve, been to Ghana's slave castles and they have done a good job keeping it as a tourist attraction. I was happy when I went to the museum in Calabar but everywhere else is a joke. Bia what is the ministry of culture and tourism doing?

    @Diary of a G, I've prob read about 10 books on the maroons, anything in particular? I'm guessing u mean the Jamaican maroons who ended up in Nova Scotia and then got shipped to Sierra Leone

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  11. what a disgrace Badagry is just from looking at those pictures Linda Ikeji provided- it is not her fault that the whole town looks so dilapidated but there are lots of better places to go in search of slave history!!!!

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  12. I visited when i was a bit young and after washing the film roots by alex haley, iam very sad anytime i see a white man as if i should dealt with them,is not their fault but d fault of the dummys we elected as our leaders whose intelligent was nothing to writehome about,and its still happening up till now.God help us.

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  13. i'm proud to have grown in badagry,thanks for ur post history about my home.

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  14. i'm proud to have grown in badagry,nice history of badagry.thx

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  15. Hi Linda,I'm proud to have grown up in Badagry and I'm really impressed with ur history of Slavery in Badagry.The pictures speak volumes.keep up your good work.

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  16. Hi Linda, I am planning to go to Badagry mid 2011 to pay hommage to my ancestors. I found out about Badagry this year from the Freeman Institute when searching for Nigeria's slave history. Its unfortunate that Nigeria's slave history is less known compared to Ghana's. If anyone knows anywhere else in Nigeria where there are Slave Ports I would appreciate some leads. Thanks Akilah

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  17. Hello Linda,
    Have been there, in fact Badagry is a place to be, i really enjoying the tour but youth let thank God because we were not yet born when all thing happening.huuum the place is enjoyable for me and friends the day we went

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  18. I feel very depressed to see the historic images of human slave trade activities. Our accessory’s offspring, brothers and sisters will forever remaining in America(Black Americans),Sierra Leone, Brazil, Britain, France, Caribbean inclusive of Jamaica, Canada, Barbados, Bahamas with no hope of ever returning back home. The slaves went through torturing and torments, inhumane conditions, helpless death, oppressions.
    I weep for Africa my mother land. Always whatever may be I remains a black African!
    Johnson@absamail.co.za

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  19. odunsi busola2 May 2012 at 12:57

    Hmmm.i visited Badagry museum once but i did not have the opportunity to tour much cos i was so pissed with what i saw and heard about the slave trade. but really it's a place to be and will want to go there over and over again. I felt the agony they went through then and i say those people present during the slave trade are really my HERO.peace unto their soul cos i know most of them are gone(dead).

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  20. I WOULD LOVE TO VISIT BADAGRY...CAN U POINT ME N THE RIGHT DIRECTION ..TN..TO BADAGRY.?? SPECIAL RATES ..GROUP RATES..PASSPORTS ..SHOTS..N OTHERWORDS..ALL HOLLA BACK..PLEASE..THANKS.

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  21. Please direct me n the right way to go to
    BADAGRY..shots..passport.SPECIAL RATES..GROUP RATES.PLANE ETC.. I HOPE SOMEONE TELL ME..INCLUDING U LINDA..THIS IS A MUST DO..THANK U.

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  22. Pls can u tell me how the first storey building is related with slave trade, apart from the fact dat both took place in Badagry?

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  23. I dont believe there was anything like slave trade, it was slave raid, these people just used the guns on us, but of a sureity, nobody sold their, mama, nobody sold their papa, broda, sisters, uncles, neighbours, all such history is cover up, these people been living by the lie, and still do.

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Disclaimer: Opinions expressed in comments are those of the comment writers alone and does not reflect or represent the views of Linda Ikeji.

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