Badagry Door of Return: Poised To become a major Nigerian Tourism event
CHAIRPERSON DABIRI-ERIWA HIGHLIGHTS THE TOURISM POTENTIAL OF THE 2023 BADAGRY DOOR OF RETURN FESTIVAL. THE FESTIVAL WILL HAPPEN ON OCTOBER 19-21, WITH LAGOS STATE’S COMMITMENT TO ITS SUCCESS.
Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Chairperson and CEO of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), anticipates that the 2023 4th Badagry Door of Return festival, scheduled from October 19th to 21st, could become a significant tourism event in Nigeria.
Dabiri-Erewa made this declaration during a joint press conference at the Bagauda Kaltho Press Centre in Alausa, Lagos. She emphasized the festival’s historical and emotional importance in welcoming back those taken as slaves over 400 years ago.
The festival will encompass visits to historical sites, captivating theatrical performances, and an array of activities commencing on October 19th and culminating with the symbolic opening of the Door on October 21, 2023.
Notably, Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu will to lead the historic door opening ceremony for the Diaspora Returnees, with Dr. Julius Marcus Garvey, Jr. at the forefront of the returnees.
The inaugural Badagry Door of Return, initially supported by the Lagos State Government, was the first of its kind in Africa but regrettably had to be suspended due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.
About Badagry Door of Return
The “Door of Return” is a term used to mark the entrance to the Heritage Museum, located in Badagry, Lagos State, Nigeria. Badagry is historically significant as a major transit point for the transatlantic slave trade. The “Door of Return” represents a commitment to reconciliation and remembrance of the dark history of the slave trade. Visitors to the museum can pass through the “Door of Return” as a symbolic act of returning to African roots and acknowledging the historical suffering that occurred during the transatlantic slave trade. And Yes It is a place of reflection and remembrance.
