Nigeria Welcomes Global Diaspora Home at 2025 Badagry Festival
Nigeria has once again become a powerful centre of cultural reconnection as fifty-seven participants from Brazil, the United States, the United Kingdom, Cuba, Haiti, and the Benin Republic were received as Kings and Queens through the Badagry Door of Return. The symbolic ceremony marked a reversal of the historical transatlantic slave journeys and celebrated a homecoming for descendants of enslaved Africans.
The event took place during the 5th edition of the Badagry Door of Return Festival 2025 in Lagos State. The Chairman and CEO of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), Dr. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, announced the arrival of the global participants, commending Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu for constructing a permanent monument for the festival — a landmark that she described as a lasting legacy for Lagos and African heritage tourism.
Dabiri-Erewa also praised Nobel Laureate Prof. Wole Soyinka, calling him “a legend and an inspiration to all.” She explained that the festival represents not just a cultural celebration but a spiritual and emotional reconnection between Africa and its diaspora communities worldwide.
In his remarks, Prof. Wole Soyinka, who attended as the Special Guest of Honour, described the event as “a historic and stupendous beginning,” saying it powerfully reconnects Africa with its people abroad. He commended Dabiri-Erewa, the Badagry local government chairmen, and Hon. Solomon Bonu of the Lagos State House of Assembly for organizing a ceremony rich in emotion and cultural significance.
Soyinka also announced that the Heritage Voyage of Return, inspired by the festival, will begin in Brazil next year and conclude in Badagry, symbolizing a complete journey of homecoming. He expressed hope that the sorrow once associated with the “Point of No Return” would be replaced with joy, pride, and renewed belonging.
Representing Governor Sanwo-Olu, special advisers Idris Aregbe (Tourism, Arts, and Culture) and the adviser on environment praised Dabiri-Erewa’s tireless work in strengthening Africa’s ties with its diaspora. They assured visitors that Lagos remains committed to cultural tourism and pledged that the permanent festival site would be completed and inaugurated before the next edition.
The Cuban Ambassador to Nigeria, Miriam Morales Palmero, highlighted the deep cultural connections between Cuba and Africa, quoting historian Fernando Ortiz: “Cuba without the blacks will not be Cuba.” She described the event as a call to preserve and defend the shared history and cultural identity born from the slave trade.
Hon. Solomon Bonu, Chairman of the Lagos House Committee on Tourism, and Babatunde Hunpe, Chairman of Badagry Local Government, both expressed gratitude to Dabiri-Erewa and the Lagos government for turning Badagry into a global tourism destination.
International participants — including Jeffrey Daniels of the legendary group Shalamar, author Dr. David Anderson, and the Consul-General of Brazil to Nigeria, Celso França — shared emotional testimonies, describing the ceremony as a “deeply spiritual return home.”
The Badagry Door of Return Festival continues to serve as a beacon of hope and healing, transforming centuries of pain into a global celebration of identity, strength, and unity between Africa and its diaspora.
