Badagry

Badagry, also known as Gbadagri, is a coastal town and local government area in Lagos State, South West Nigeria. Being the second largest town in Lagos State, Badagry is surrounded by lakes, creeks or runlets and island, which makes beaches and resorts one of the major attractions of the ancient town.

In 2016, the municipality had a population of about 241,000.

Understand
Badagry, which is also spelt as Badagri, is a town and lagoon port in Lagos state. It is sited on the north bank of Porto Novo runlet, an inland waterway that links the national capitals of Nigeria (Lagos) and Benin (Porto-Novo), and also on a road that leads to Lagos, Ilaro, and Porto-Novo.

Badagry is the seat of a local government council and it is inhabited by Popo and Gun peoples mainly. It rapidly became a major residential suburb of Lagos after the opening of an expressway in 1976. The area has an automotive assembly plant, and it is the site of a college, a secondary school, and several hospitals as well.

Badagry subsists largely on fishing and agriculture. In the 1880s, coconut plantations were established in Badagry and the present-day Badagry still exports coconuts, copra, coconut husk fibre (coir), fish, vegetables, and cassava to Lagos about 55 km (34 mi) away. Also, after the establishment of a factory that makes bags for packing farm products in the mid-1960s, the packaging of kenaf (which is a fibrous plant) became highly important. The area traded primarily in fish, palm oil and kernels, cassava, coconut and corn (maize).

History
Badagry was founded in the early 15th century on a lagoon off the Gulf of Guinea. It was founded by the Popo refugees from the wars with the Fon people of Dahomey. It was cut out of Nigeria in 1863 and eventually added to the state of Lagos as part of Nigeria by the United Kingdom in 1901. Its protected harbour led to the town becoming a key port in the export of slaves to the Americas, which were mainly to Salvador, Bahia in Brazil. It was such a big departure point for slaves headed for French Saint-Domingue (today's Haiti). The main god of Haiti's official religion of Vodun is called Ogun-Badagri. After its discovery in the late 1720s, a British trading post was established there in the late 1820s. Consequent upon this establishment, Badagry developed as a palm-oil port for Egbaland to the north and as an importer of European cloth. It also became the site of the first European Mission church (Methodist) in Nigeria in 1842 and it remained a leading port and mission centre until the attack in 1851 by the army of Lagos when the city was destroyed by fire. That attack, together  with the constant threat of the Fon and the poor sandy soils in the area, led to the complete exodus of the town’s traders, missionaries, and farmers.

From the 1840s, following the suppression of the slave trade, Badagry declined significantly but became a major site of Christian mission work.

The first education system of Nigeria as a British colony started in Badagry where the first primary school was established by the Wesleyan mission (Methodist Church) in 1843: the Nursery of Infant Church later became St. Thomas’ Anglican Nursery and Primary School. It was founded by Rev. Golmer of the Church Missionary Society (CMS) in 1845. In 1863 the town was annexed by the United Kingdom and incorporated into the Lagos colony. In 1901 it became a part of Nigeria.

Government and monarchy
Badagry is a monarchy headed by the Wheno Aholuship, a kingship headed by the Akran of Badagry and his seven white cap high chiefs. Badagry had established the institution of divine kingship (De Wheno Aholu). This had its root from its historical migration from ketu kingdom in the 15th century. From the previous De Wheno Aholu Akran Gbafoe down to the present De Wheno Aholu Akran Menu Toyi I the stool had produced 17 Akrans.

The white cap chiefs administer the eight quarters into which Badagry is divided — Ahovikoh, Boekoh, Jegba, Posukoh, Awhanjigo, Asago, Whalako, and Ganho. These quarters and the families that ruled them played prominent roles in brokering slave trade with the Europeans and Brazilians.

The title of Badagry’s royal father is Oba Akran, a kingship so influential that one of the longest commercial avenues (a 2.14-km stretch) in Ikeja, Oba Akran Avenue, was named after it.

Religion
The traditional worshipping of the Supreme Being (Jiwheyewhe mawu ose) through lesser gods such as Ogun (God of iron) and Hevioso (god of thunder) is still very much practised. Being mainly fishermen, the Egun people also worship Olokuna water deity which is usually appeased for abundant fishes.

Christianity was first preached in Nigeria at Badagry in 1842 by Rev Thomas Birch Freeman. The site where Christianity was first preached then is now the "Agiya Tree Monument" beside the Badagry Town Hall.

Climate
The temperature in Badagry varies from to. The weather at the beach is always very breezy and cool during the dry season because of the coconut trees that surrounds the beach and the presence of the ocean. The rainy season is always wet and very cold, the sea level rises, it is not always advised to visit the beach during the raining season.

The best times for a visit are from mid July to early September and from mid December to late January.

Talk
Egun is the native language of the people of Badagry, and Yoruba language is generally spoken but Egun is a predominant dialect of Ajara, which is similar to the Fon language, Gun is sub-group dialect that is spoken in Porto-Novo (in Benin).

Get in
Badagry is between the city of Lagos and the border with Benin, popularly known as "Cotonue" at Seme.

By plane
When you land at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, you can hire a car. The road from Agbara to Badagry is now motorable. The fare to Coconut Beach, for example, will cost ₦1,000–15,000 (Dec 2022).

By road


Travelling to Badagry by road from Lagos and Seme Border Crossing which are the neighbouring or closest towns costs the following below:


 * From Lagos to Badagry is approximately US$21-26, about an hour taxi ride.
 * From the Seme Border Crossing to Badagry is about 20 min by car or taxi ride.

See



 * Because of its proximity to the ocean, Badagry became the key port for export of African slaves to the Americas. There is a small museum in the building of the first Christian mission that showcases the manacles and other relics of the hugely lucrative and barbaric trade in humans.
 * Being the "gateway of civilization of Nigeria", Badagry has lots of historical buildings of interest that has now been converted into tourist attractions. Some of them include:
 * District Officer’s Residence: it was constructed in 1870.
 * First storey building in Nigeria: it is an Anglican Missionary House built in 1845.
 * Topo Island Catholic Mission Ruins: the mission was established in the 1870s.
 * Seriki Abass Slave Baracoon: a slave cell built by Brazilian slave merchants in 1840. St. Thomas’ Anglican primary school: it was the first primary school in Nigeria. It was founded In 1843.
 * Topo Island Catholic Mission Ruins: the mission was established in the 1870s.
 * Seriki Abass Slave Baracoon: a slave cell built by Brazilian slave merchants in 1840. St. Thomas’ Anglican primary school: it was the first primary school in Nigeria. It was founded In 1843.

Do




Events and festivals
Some festivals held in Badagry are: the Ajido Zangbeto cult festival, Badagry diaspora, Igunnuko festival, heritage festivals and the Badagry festival.

Buy
Trading activities feature prominently in Badagry as the area has a good number of markets in it. The main market is the Agbalata International Market. Other major markets include:


 * Hunto market
 * Vlekete market: a kind of mini night market for petty traders of foodstuffs. It's a daily market opens from around 4PM to 10PM
 * Agbalata Market: a home goods markets where especially coconut is plenty and affordable too
 * Agbalata Market: a home goods markets where especially coconut is plenty and affordable too

Agbalata International Market


The Agbalata International Market is one of the major markets in the area. Being very close to the port and the border, it is more easy for people from far and near to gain entrance into the market, and people who from far and near come to buy and sell goods. It is like a beehive because all kinds of trading activities are done there. It has continually played a leading role in the economic development of Badagry and its surroundings.

Items sold in this market range from the town’s highly revered mat, succulent coconut, to affordable food items, such as rice, beans, garri, yam flour and pepper. It is a place where one can purchase virtually everything he or she wants and at a reasonable price, often very cheap.

There are various sections for all the traders in the market, making it well-organised and easy to navigate. Pepper and food stuff sellers are the ones an individual would first see once entering the market, while shoe sellers are at the extreme of the market. Clothe, shoe, bag and jewellery stands are in two sections. There is a section where the new ones are sold and another section where second-hand are sold. Quality clothes, shoes and bags can be bought from either of the sections but their prices are quite different. Different types of electronics are sold with full guaranty at an affordable rate. There are also various wine and soft drink shops.

Very popular items sold at the market include coconuts, fish, shoes, bags, rice, mat, (popularly called Agbada mats) often produced in various sizes, groundnut oil, as well as smuggled goods.

Supermarkets

 * Iket Supermarket, 6 Secreterial Road
 * Iket Supermarket, 6 Secreterial Road
 * Iket Supermarket, 6 Secreterial Road
 * Iket Supermarket, 6 Secreterial Road
 * Iket Supermarket, 6 Secreterial Road
 * Iket Supermarket, 6 Secreterial Road

Eat
Common native food to the Egun include corn flour (which is also known as "Tuwo") imoyo, azin gokun, zagbiti, and avin. The Egun people basically have similar kinds of food with the Yoruba. These items of food also include some of the Yoruba native dishes like eba, semo, amala, fufu, and tuwo, while native soups in Egun include Benin Republic Red Sauce, ground nut Soup, melon soup and also vegetable soup.

There are also various eateries/restaurants in Badagry where visitors can enjoy sumptuous meals on a cool budget. Prominent among them include:


 * Ewa Those mobil, along Joseph Dosu way a Beach Town 9AM- 8PM. (Updated march 2022)
 * Funco Canteen public work yard bus-stop along general hospital road gadela. 7AM- 4PM. ( Updated march 2022)
 * Ewa Those mobil, along Joseph Dosu way a Beach Town 9AM- 8PM. (Updated march 2022)
 * Funco Canteen public work yard bus-stop along general hospital road gadela. 7AM- 4PM. ( Updated march 2022)
 * Ewa Those mobil, along Joseph Dosu way a Beach Town 9AM- 8PM. (Updated march 2022)
 * Funco Canteen public work yard bus-stop along general hospital road gadela. 7AM- 4PM. ( Updated march 2022)
 * Ewa Those mobil, along Joseph Dosu way a Beach Town 9AM- 8PM. (Updated march 2022)
 * Funco Canteen public work yard bus-stop along general hospital road gadela. 7AM- 4PM. ( Updated march 2022)

Drink
Badagry locals, comprising of the Aworis, Egun, Yoruba and Ogu people, are known for their hospitable disposition and their famous snack, Ajogun, made from cassava, is best enjoyed with coconut water sucked from a straw plunged deep into the coconut.


 * AUCRL Bar, (Atah bar) Roundabout along Seme express road. 6PM-5AM (Updated march 2022)
 * Savannah Bar, water side along market road. 9AM - 11PM. ( Updated march 2022)
 * Pathfinder bar, Marina along market road. 6PM-11PM. (Updated march 2022)
 * ￼Kalakutalah drink and wine, waterside along Agbalata market. 7PM-6AM. ( Updated march 2022).
 * AUCRL Bar, (Atah bar) Roundabout along Seme express road. 6PM-5AM (Updated march 2022)
 * Savannah Bar, water side along market road. 9AM - 11PM. ( Updated march 2022)
 * Pathfinder bar, Marina along market road. 6PM-11PM. (Updated march 2022)
 * ￼Kalakutalah drink and wine, waterside along Agbalata market. 7PM-6AM. ( Updated march 2022).
 * Pathfinder bar, Marina along market road. 6PM-11PM. (Updated march 2022)
 * ￼Kalakutalah drink and wine, waterside along Agbalata market. 7PM-6AM. ( Updated march 2022).

Sleep
There are a couple of hotel and Guest house accommodation in Badagry for visitors and travellers to unwind. Some of them include:

Connect
You would most likely find reliable coverage of the 2G/3G mobile networks in most locations in Badagry, but the 4G network might be unreliable. Signal strength might diminish further away from the city center, and you might occasionally experience a network outage for all or some of the mobile phone service providers in the remote areas of the city. Different networks tend to be more stable and reliable in different locations of the city at different times.

MTN, 9Mobile, Airtel (Zain) and GLO are all available service providers.

Go next

 * Isolo
 * Oshodi
 * Egbeda