Fifty-seven participants from Brazil, the United States, the United Kingdom, Cuba, Haiti, and the Benin Republic were ceremoniously welcomed as Kings and Queens through the Badagry Door of Return, symbolically reversing the historic transatlantic slave journeys of their ancestors.
The Chairman and CEO of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), Dr Abike Dabiri-Erewa, announced this during the 5th edition of the Badagry Door of Return Festival 2025, held in Lagos State, Southwest Nigeria.
She also praised the Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, for constructing the permanent Door of Return monument, describing it as a lasting tourism legacy for Lagos State.
She also hailed Prof. Wole Soyinka as “a legend and inspiration to all,” adding that the festival represents a historic, emotional, spiritual, and economic reconnection to Africa.
Similarly, Nobel Laureate Prof. Wole Soyinka described the Badagry Door of Return Ceremony as a historic beginning of a stupendous event that reconnects Africa with its diaspora powerfully and emotionally.
Speaking as Special Guest of Honour at the festival, Prof. Soyinka commended Dr Abike Dabiri-Erewa, alongside the three Badagry local government chairmen and Mr Solomon Bonu of the Lagos State House of Assembly, for organising a memorable and culturally significant ceremony.
He noted that the festival marked the beginning of the planned Heritage Voyage of Return, which will commence in Brazil next year and conclude in Badagry.
Prof. Soyinka expressed optimism that the sadness associated with the historical Point of No Return will be transformed into joy and renewed connection for the African diaspora eager to come home.
Also, Governor Sanwo-Olu, represented by his special advisers on tourism, arts and culture, and on environment, Mr Idris Aregbe, commended Dabiri-Erewa for her dedication to strengthening the bond between Africa and its diaspora.
He assured participants that Lagos would remain an attractive destination for cultural and heritage tourism and pledged that the permanent festival site would be completed and inaugurated during the next edition.
Cuban Ambassador to Nigeria, Miriam Morales Palmero, also lauded the event, saying it serves as a motivation to preserve and defend the shared history of slavery and cultural identity.
Citing Cuban historian Fernando Ortiz, she noted that “Cuba without the blacks will not be Cuba,” emphasising the monumental contributions of Africans to Cuban heritage.
Mr Solomon Bonu, Chairman of the Lagos State House Committee on Tourism, described the festival as “a heritage bridge between Africa and her children abroad,” pledging legislative support for initiatives that promote culture, tourism, and historical preservation.
Similarly, Babatunde Hunpe, Chairman of Badagry Local Government, speaking for his colleagues, expressed gratitude to Dabiri-Erewa and Governor Sanwo-Olu for elevating Badagry’s global profile.
International participants, including Jeffrey Daniels of the hit band Shalamar, Dr David Anderson (author of Gracism), and the Consul-General of Brazil to Nigeria, Celso França, shared their profound experiences, describing the event as a deeply emotional and joyful return to their ancestral roots.
The Badagry Door of Return Festival continues to stand as a unifying symbol of hope, healing, and reconnection, transforming history’s pain into a celebration of identity, resilience, and homecoming.