Badagry Set to Host 3rd Diaspora Festival - Door of Return

The ancient town of Badagry is set to 2019 edition of the Diaspora Festival tagged Door of Return: "A Pilgrimage to the Motherland 'the Third Coming'".

The event is to welcome those whose ancestors were taken away as slaves over 400 years ago and are now returning as kings and queens to their motherland.

The Door of Return in its third edition is an emblem of African Renaissance chaired by the Minister of Finance for the Accompong Maroon in Jamaica, Hon. Timothy McPherson Jr.

In preparation for the 2019 event, the Lagos State Government, Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu had met with the Chairman of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, Abike Dabiri on August 15th in Marina, Lagos to deliberate on tourism and economic potentials of Lagos State, in preparation for the 3rd Diaspora Festival, Badagry.

The novel event has been holding every year since 1999 in Gberefu Beach and this year's symbolic and emotional festival takes place in Badagry from the 15th to 20th Oct 2019.

Activities for the programme includes:

• Calverton Boat Cruise To Badagry, From Lagos.
• International Symposium With World Leaders and Diplomats.
• Tour of Heritage Sights in Badagry:

1. First Christian Cemetery in Nigeria
2. Badagry Heritage Museum
3. First Storey Building in Nigeria
4. Mobee Family Slave Relics Museum
5. SerikiAbass Brazilian Baracoon
6. Canoon Guns for slave raiding at Wawu palace
7. The Agia Tree Monument where Christianity was first preached in Nigeria
8. The ancient Vlekete Slave Market
9. The Tomb of Huntokonu the first slave merchant

• Visit to The Akran of Badagry Kingdom for:

1. Adoption of African names ceremony
2. Chieftaincy Title Conferment

• Door of Return ceremony at Badagry Marina
• Visit To The Point of No Return.