The Badagry Diaspora Festival is rooted in the experience characterized by culture and historical connection to continental Africa by Africa Diaspora. It's a sign of the unflinching acceptance of families in Diaspora by Nigeria. The uniqueness of Badagry Diaspora Festival and the Door of Return project exhumes from a place of determination, purpose and divineness. The consistency and determination of purpose despite all odds are dexterous.
Despite the efforts to disconnect the root from the branches, unprecedented consciousness, cultural and divine energy continues to work in individuals and groups of people back home in the motherland and in Africa Diaspora with the objective of uniting disconnected families across the Atlantic.
According to Hon. (Mrs) Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Chairman/CEO, Nigerians In Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), during a joint Press Conference at Bagauda Kaltho Press Centre Alausa, Lagos says the 2023, 4th Edition of Badagry Door Of Return Festival scheduled to hold from the 19th to 21st of October, if properly harnessed, would be one of the biggest tourism events in Nigeria.
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| Hon. (Mrs) Abike Dabiri-Erewa |
Why are there no direct flights from Africa to Africa Diaspora countries? Why is the history of Africa distorted in curriculums taught in world history classes? Why is it that only one storyline is majorly highlighted (Africa sold Africans) and is pushed down the throat of the world whereas African history did not begin with slavery and slave history experiences and methods differs from one African community to another?
It has always been the wish of the ancestors to return home to Africa from the time when they were stolen, enslaved and shipped across the Atlantic ocean and today they are returning home through their descendants, who are cousins and families of continental Africa. This is the motivation of Badagry Door of Return Ceremony.
The uniqueness of Nigeria's Africa Diaspora reconnection project which divinely starts with individual Nigerians should be appreciated. Is the determination to reconnect families across the Atlantic ocean ordinary or just out of the blue? What's the motivation? The slave route in the hinterland of West Africa saw uncountable human cargos from present day Nigeria to far away slave ports as far as Abeokuta on McCarthy Island in Gambia, slave markets in little Ardra (Allada), ports of Whydah, Goree etc. and numerous slave ports in Europe and across the Americas.
The enslaved Africans took Africa with them on the different nefarious journeys they experienced. They left signs at every slave ports, mines, slave holdings and on the plantations they domiciled. The enslavers also left symbols of hardship and sorrows across slave ports in Africa where African ancestors were shipped away and one of such slave port was Badagry. It had direct route to many hinterland slave markets and especially Apomu, which was the biggest slave market in the hinterland.
Badagry was a major hypermarket of the trans-Atlantic slave trade where millions of enslaved Africans were bought and sold and forcefully dispersed to Europe and the Americas. This dispersed population has formed diaspora communities across the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans.
The energy that established the "Door Of Return Ceremony" is a renewed hope for the ancestors dream of family reunion. The Door of Return Ceremony began in 2017 but was halted due to COVID-19 pandemic.
Kudos should be given to the support and persistence of Hon. (Mrs) Abike Dabiri-Erewa, the Chairman/CEO of Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM) and the partnership of
African Renaissance Foundation (AREFO), the organizers of Badagry Diaspora Festival led by Dr. Babatunde Olaide-Mesewaku. The Lagos State Government through the governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu should be commended for the decisive interest to support the Badagry Diaspora Festival. The Lagos State commissioner of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Mrs Toke Benson-Awoyinka and Hon. Solomon Bonu, Chairman, Lagos State House Committee on Tourism have also promised everyone a successful outing.
Hon. Abike-Dabiri stated that the Door of Return Ceremony signifies the joy of return to the motherland and it's about recieving our brothers and sisters that were taken away as en-slaved persons about 400 years ago, historically, emotionally and physically. She added that there would be visits to historical sites, theatrical performances, and other activities beginning from October 19th-20th, 2023 while the door will be opened on October 21, 2023.
The chairman/CEO of NIDCOM also mentioned that the Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu is expected to lead the historic door opening ceremony for the Diaspora returnee, led by Dr. Julius Garvey, Jnr.
The Badagry Door Of Return Ceremony takes place annually in Badagry Lagos with the symbolic expression of returning participating brothers, sisters and children from Diaspora in a boat from the Point of No Return Gberefu, dressed up in royalty with crown on every one's head to be received on the other side of the river by the community led by the king as kings and queens.
Efforts had been made by Nigeria in the past to promote and reunite Africa and Africa Diaspora. In 1977, thousands of artists, writers, musicians, activists and scholars from Africa and the black diaspora assembled in Lagos for FESTAC '77. About 16,000 participants representing about 70 nations attended the event. The program lasted for about a month, from 15th January 1977 to 12 February 1977. Lt. General Olusegun Obasanjo, head of the Military Government of Nigeria was the patron of FESTAC.
On the 27th of May 2001, the first Black Heritage Festival which was aimed at reuniting blacks in diaspora with their kinsmen on the continent began in the historical town of Badagry, Lagos State and was declared open by the then Lagos State Governor, Bola Ahmed Tinubu who became Nigeria's President in 20023.
In recognition of the importance of Africa Diaspora to Lagos State and Nigeria in general, Lagos State Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture on the 31st of March, 2022, during the Best Of Lagos Fam Tour, Badagry Division Stakeholders engagement organized a paper with the topic: Lagos as a prime destination for African Diaspora which was delivered by Amb. Anago Osho, founder of Global Anago Adventures Ltd., and co-founders of Association of History, Nature and Culture Tour Guides (AHNACTG) and Association of Professional Tourism Practitioners of Badagry (APTPB).
The walk through the magnificent Door of Return is the climax of the ceremony and the returning Africa Diaspora are recieved by the community in glamour, laughter, funfair, dance, music, colourful scenery, costumes, and paraphernalia of culture. During the festival participants will witness and enjoy the Walk through the "Door of Return", Boat Regatta, Parades, unique Cultural performances, and the grand finale.
The historic town still preserves and maintains it's history in tangible and intangible heritage which positions the town as home for the African descent in the diaspora. The Door of Return ceremony is a symbolic welcome experience in contrast to the Point of No Return where enslaved African ancestors were forcibly taken away to other regions of the world as en-slaved persons.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
https://allafrica.com/stories/
SerikiAbass: Slave Trade, Badagry, and the History That Refuses To Die https://www.iosrjournals.org/