Caribbean team explores Badagry slavery sites

A Caribbean tourism team has visited slave sites in Badagry, to commemorate 400 years since the first slave ship with African slaves docked in America in 1619.

Badagry, which is west of Lagos on the Atlantic Ocean coast, is a key departure point for slaves.

Millions of Africans, mainly young males and females were taken into slavery to Europe, the Americas and the Arab world in a bitter experience that lasted for hundreds of years, according to history.

The visit by the Caribbean Tourism Organisation is to familiarise the team members with the slave history of the ancient town, NAN reported.

The visit, late on Friday was in preparation for the Africa Diaspora Conference, lined up for the 15th AKWAABA African Travel and Tourism Market, slated for this week in Victoria Island, Lagos.

AKWAABA is also to commemorate four centuries of the African experience in slavery, a trade that dehumanised Africans in various European, American and Arab countries for centuries.

The sites visited by the team, include the Akran of Badagry Palace, Point of no Return, Point of Return now under construction, Badagry Slave Route and the Badagry Local Government Secretariat.

Director of Marketing of the Caribbean Tourism Organisation, Carol Hay, expressed her excitement seeing the slavery sites.

She advised Africans in the diaspora to retrace their roots to get united with their families and friends to achieve common African goals.

This an amazing experience and I will advise other Africans in the diaspora to retrace their steps to their root,” she stated.

Similarly, Dr Kerry Hall, Director of Tourism Development in the Barbados Ministry of Tourism and International Transport, described the history of African slavery as painful and tragic.