Badagry

Badagry is a coastal town and Local Government Area (LGA) in the Nigerian state of Lagos. It is located on the north bank of Porto Novo Creek, an inland waterway that connects Lagos (Nigeria's largest city and economic powerhouse) to Benin's capital of Benin (Porto-Novo). The same road connects Lagos, Ilaro, and Porto-Novo, and it borders the Republic of Benin. The municipality has a population of 241,093 according to provisional 2006 census estimates.

Between 1736 and 1851, Badagry evolved as a commercial city on the West African coast, serving as a lagoon and an Atlantic port. Its navigable lakes, creeks, and inland lagoons served as both a means of trade and a security barrier for residents. During the Trans-Atlantic slave trade, the town served as a link between European traffickers on the coast and dealers from the interior.

Badagry is located on Nigeria's southwest coast, flanked to the south by the Gulf of Guinea. It is 43 miles southeast of Lagos and 32 miles west of Seme, a border town in the Benin Republic. It, like Lagos Island, is located on the bank of inland lagoons, a network of creeks, and waterways navigable to Lagos and Porto Novo. The distance between the lagoon and the ocean varies throughout the coast, but it is around a mile in Badagry.

Though the town had a horrible past, it is now a major tourist attraction with monuments, areas of interest, beaches, resorts, slave trade artifacts, and antiquities. The Black Slavery Museum, Gberefun Island (Point of No Return), and the velekete slave market are the top attractions in Badagry. The Badagry Festival, which takes place every August, also allows travelers to learn about the rich culture of the Badagry people.

Location: Lagos State, Nigeria