Saturday, 8 April 2017

The ancient city of Badagry, its Festivals and Tourist attractions.




 The  ancient  city  of  Badagry  was  founded  precisely  in  1425.  It  is  located  along the  ancient  Slave  Coast  of  West  Africa,  now  known  as  the  Bight  of  Benin.  By 1600s  this  ancient  city  had  become  a  thriving  community  reputed  for  trade  in salt  and  saltpetre  by  evaporation  at  Gberefu  beach  which  was  soon  to  become known  as  the  ancient  slave  port  of  Badagry.  

But  this  legitimate  trade  soon  gave way  to the  obnoxious  slave  trade  and for  its  first  four  hundred  years  of  existence slave  trade  was  to  dominate  all  other  interests  in  Badagry. 

It  became  host  to European  Slave  traders  led  by  George  Freemingo,  a  Portuguese  slave  merchant who  came  to  Badagry  around  1660s.  By  1740  Badagry  had  become  a  thriving town  for  its  sole  industry  -  the  slave  trade.  
It  grew  to  an  important  commercial centre  flourishing  on  the  export  of  slave  trade  through  the  creeks  and  lagoon and across  the  Atlantic to Europe and the  Americas.


According to the United Nations: Slavery and the slave trade are among the worst violations of human rights in the history of humanity. The trans Atlantic slave trade was unique within the entire history of slavery due to its duration[four hundred years].Its scale-approximately 17 million people excluding those who died during transport. And the legitimization accorded to it including under Laws of the time.

The transatlantic slave trade constituted the biggest deportation in history and is often referred to as the first example of globalization. Lasting from the 16th century to the 19th century. It involved several regions and continents: Africa, North and South America, Europe and the Caribbean and resulted in the sale and exploitation of millions of Africans by Europeans.
On the other hand, the Christian Action Magazine tells us:
While much has been written concerning the Trans-Atlantic slave trade, surprisingly little attention has been given to the Islamic slave trade across the Sahara, the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean. While the European involvement in the slave trade lasted for just over three centuries, the Arab involvement in the slave trade has lasted fourteen centuries, and in some parts of the Muslim world is still continuing to this day.

A comparison of the Islamic slave trade to the American slave trade reveals some interesting contrasts. While two out of every three slaves shipped across the Atlantic were men, the proportion were reversed in the Islamic slave trade-two women for every man were enslaved by the Muslims.

While the mortality rate for slaves being transported across the Atlantic was as high as 10%, the percentage of slaves dying in transit in the Trans Sahara and East African slave trade was between 80 and 90%.

In  the  course  of  history  and  particularly  being  the  first  community  in  Nigeria  to have  contact  with  Europeans  Badagry  had  recorded  many  firsts  in  the  annals  of the  Nigerian  history  and  today  regarded  as  cradle  of  Western  Civilization  in Nigeria for  being the first  community. Ø To have contact  with Europeans. Ø To  serve  as  a  major  slave  market  and  slave  port  in  Nigeria  and  the  first community  in Nigeria to be urbanized. Ø

The  British  flag  (Union  Jack)  was  first  hoisted  on  the  soil  of  Badagry  in 1842  as  symbol  of  authority  to  stop  the  slave  trade  and  this  singular action  marked  the  beginning  of  the  process  of  what  later  became  known as  Nigeria. Ø
Western   Education   in   Nigeria   took   its  root   in  Badagry   with  the establishment  of  the  first  elementary  school  called  the  'Nursery  of  the Infant  Church'  in 1843 by  the Church Missionary Society (CMS).
The  architectural  evolution  of  Nigeria  started  right  here  in  Badagry  in 1845 when  the  first  ever  storey building in Nigeria was  built  by Rev.  C. 0. Golmeras  a  vicarage  for  early  Church  Missionary  Society(now  Anglican) missionaries. Ø

The  first  idea  of  International  Law  in  Nigeria  was  generated  in  Badagry when  Richard  Lander,  one  of  the  earliest  British  explorers  to  Badagry, was  tried  in  1825  by  a  Jury  of  Elders  through  the  means  of  Badagry custom  and  tradition  at  theVlekete  slave  market.  Richard  Lander's  trial  in Badagry  became  the  first  trial  of  an  Alien  in  Nigeria.  He  was  accused  of Treason, a crime punishable  by  death. Ø

In  1876,  the  first  Agricultural  School  in  Nigeria  was  established  by  the Roman  Catholic Missionaries  on  Topo Island.
In  1893  the  first  Teachers  Training  College  in  Nigeria  was  established  on the same  Island by the Roman  Catholic missionaries.

BADAGRY FESTIVAL:   THE OBJECTIVES
Badagry   festival   exemplifies   the   creative   power   of history reconstructing  the  tragic  contextual  features  of  the  past  history  of  a people  for  celebration  of  freedom  and  emancipation. 

The  history,  in this  circumstance,  is  the  history  of  the  continent  of  Africa  as  it  relates to  the  Trans-Atlantic  Slave  Trade  of  which  Badagry  played  quite significant  role  in  its  growth,  development  and  abolition  along  the coast  of  West  Africa. ü

The  Badagry  Festival,  therefore,  serves  a  historical  and  cultural bridge  between  mother  Africa  and  the  African  descents  in  the Diaspora. üIt  reminiscences  the  history  of  the  Trans-Atlantic  Slave  Trade and  celebrates  the  heroism  of  black  race  in  the  face  of  iron  and blood  struggles  for  liberation,  freedom  and  egalitarianism  of  the Blackman  the world  over.

It  is  a  renaissance  celebration  of  African  history,  the  heroism  of its  people,  culture  and  Arts  across  the  globe. üIt  seeks,  amongst  many  other  laudable  objectives,  to  create  a global  platform  for  the  gradual  re-integration  of  the  Africans  in the   diaspora  back  to  their  ancestral  and  cultural  roots  and thereby  contributing  to  socio-economic  development  of  Africa in  general  and Nigeria in particular. ü

It  is  a  festival  celebrated  to  sensitize  the  people  towards  the  need  for  the preservation  and  conservation  of  Africa’s  rich  cultural  heritage  both  the tangible and  intangible.

TOURIST ATTRACTIONS IN BADAGRY
As  a  result  of  this  rich  history  spanning  four  centuries,  Badagry  has  become  a major  tourism  destination  along  the  ancient  Slave  Coast  of  West  Africa.  The following  tourism  attraction can  be found in Badagry:

• The first  storey  building in Nigeria built  in 1845
• The  Agia  Tree  monument  where  Christianity  was  first  preached  in Nigeria  in  September,  1842  by  Rev.  Thomas  Birch  Freeman,  a  Wesleyan Missionary (now  Methodist).
• The  first  ever  Christmas  service  in  to  be  held  in  Nigeria  was  observed under  the  AgiaTree  with  a  joint  church  service  by  both  Wesleyan  and  the Church Missionary  Society  (now  Anglican)  on 25th December,  1842.
• The  early  missionaries'  cemetery  which  was  the  first  official  missionary in  Nigeria  established  in  1845.  A  number  of  early  missionaries  were buried in the cemetery  with their  tombs  still  preserved till  date.
• The  tomb  of  George  Fremingo,  the  first  European  slave  merchant  ever  to touch  down  on  the  soil  of  Nigeria.  He  was  assassinated  in  Badagry  in 1620.  His  tomb  is  located  by  the  Palace  of  King  Akran  of  Badagry Kingdom.
• The  cannon   guns  used   in  slave   raiding.   The   canons   were   also instrumental  in the abolition of  slave trade in Badagry.
• The  Vlekete  slave  market  established  in  1502  from  where  millions  of African  were bought  and shipped to Europe  and the  Americas.
The  Badagry  Heritage  Museum  with  the  most  comprehensive  collection on the  Trans-Atlantic Slave  Trade in Nigeria.
• The Mobee  family  slave relics  museum. • The  Brazillian  Slave  Barracoon  (slave  store  house)  where  slaves  were kept  in waiting for  European slave  ships.
• The  first  elementary  school  in  Nigeria  established  in  1843  originally referred to 'Nursery of  theInfant  church'.
• The  point  of  no  return  where  slaves  were  coerced  to  slave  ships  to unknown destinations. • Royal  homage  to  the  palaces  of  all  traditional  rulers  at  Badagry,  Apa, Kweme,  Ibereko, Ilogbo,  Ajido, Iworo etc.


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