Badagry Heritage Museum

Badagry is a historic coastal town in Lagos State, about 69 kilometres west of central Lagos and close to the border with Benin. From the eighteenth century it was a trading post on the Atlantic coast, and enslaved Africans were shipped from here to Europe and the Americas. Although its trade was smaller than that of ports such as Ouidah, the town has preserved many sites linked to this history, which makes it one of the most meaningful day trips from Lagos.

The Badagry Heritage Museum is the best place to start. It occupies the former District Officer's office, built by the British colonial government in 1863, and opened as a museum in August 2002 as part of the Black Heritage Festival. Eight galleries trace the slave trade from how it was established in Badagry, through capture, transportation, resistance and the material culture of the trade, to the forced integration of enslaved people into other societies and the abolition movements. Manacles, shackles and replica slave ships are on display, alongside modern art reflecting on enslavement. Outside stands a statue of a man and woman breaking free from their chains.

From the town, boats cross the water to Gberefu Island, where a path leads to the beach known as the Point of No Return, from which captives were taken to the ships. On the way you pass the Attenuation Well, from which enslaved people were made to drink in the belief that it would make them forget their past. Other sites include the Seriki Williams Abass Slave Museum in a former barracoon, the Vlekete slave market, and the First Storey Building, built by Church Missionary Society missionaries between 1842 and 1845, where Samuel Ajayi Crowther worked on his Yoruba translation of the Bible. Badagry also claims Nigeria's first Christmas celebration, in 1842.

This is a sobering and educational trip for adults and older children, and especially meaningful for visitors of African descent tracing the history of the diaspora. Allow a full day: the drive along the Lagos-Badagry Expressway can take two hours or more each way, and you will want time at several sites. Small entry fees and tips for local guides are usually charged separately at each site, so bring cash.

Most visitors come by car with a driver or on a guided day tour from Lagos, which removes the stress of navigating and arranging boats. Leave early in the morning, carry water, a hat and sunscreen for the island walk, and wear comfortable shoes. Local guides at the sites can explain the history in detail, and their knowledge adds a great deal to the visit.