The ancient town of Badagry was founded around l425 A.D. The origin of Badagry could be traced back to the period when people lived along the Coast of Gberefu and this area later gave birth to the town of Badagry. Badagry – the 2nd largest commercial town in Lagos State – is located in the western tip of Lagos city and about an hour drive from Lagos main land.
Thumb ups:
Badagry has many things going for it. Aside from the fact that it remains serene and full of unspoiled nature, it also happens to be a very historic town with regards Nigeria’ s journey to independence. Badagry was a major slave port and market on the West African coast, exporting no fewer than 600,000 African slaves to America. Badagry is a tourist centre with its historic sites, landscapes, cultural artifacts and relics of human slavery.
There are buildings, sites and memories of this iniquitous period so that tourists can unearth the dark impact of this era. Interesting places that can leave an unforgettable memory are 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.
Other attraction is the site of the famous Agia tree under which Christianity was first preached in Nigeria. Visitors will also do well to trek on the Gberefu Beach to the ‘Point of No Return’. African-Americans eager to identify with their African roots will find a great deal to connect with in Badagry. Also worth visiting are Suntan Beach, Hermitage Resort, Whispering Palms Beach Resort, Halem Seaside Resort etc.
Thumb downs:
Visitors to Badagry should bear in mind that the town is still developing, therefore it is possible to sight untarred and unmarked roads and other features that are commonly spottable in developing world. Another downside of Badagry is unavailability of top brand hotels and this means that the visitors to the town will have to travel about an hour away to mainland Lagos to get a considerably good hotel to stay.
[tab: Gallery] http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=319058&id=82573393018 [tab: Location] [cetsEmbedGmap src=http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=badagry&hl=en&ll=6.487254,2.863312&spn=0.453012,0.837021&gl=uk&sqi=2&z=11 width=460 height=450 marginwidth=0 marginheight=0 frameborder=0 scrolling=no]
