Growing up in Lagos means that at some point in your life, you must have heard of a place called Badagry, right?
I’ve lived in Lagos all my life, and the first time I stepped foot in this place called Badagry was during my secondary school excursion. Of course, we didn’t go past the Heritage Museum, Mobee Slave Trade Museum, and the historical first one-storey building in Nigeria, but for what it’s worth, my first impression of this community was “serenity.”
Fast forward to 2019, I had the opportunity to live in Badagry, thanks to tertiary education and the Nigeria French Language Village. These months were inarguably the best six months of my life yet, and I’ll tell you why.
Lagos is commonly characterised as noisy, overpopulated, dirty—the ghetto, name it. So, finding a community in the same Lagos, not just a park or a resort but an actual community that screams the opposite of these things? Bliss, if you ask me! I dare say that Badagry is a gift to Lagosians and should be treated as such.
Badagry is a coastal town on the north bank of Porto Novo Creek, close to the Seme border. It boasts of several beaches, resorts, historical slave trade museums, historical sites, and beautiful people. The place itself tells a story, it takes you back in time to the slave trade era of black people, their untold stories, and their victory.
My favourite part of living in Badagry was the tranquility it brought to my soul and spirit, the hospitable people, and the ease of visiting a different country whenever I felt like it.
I strongly believe that Badagry is an underrated place everyone should visit, especially if you’re looking to explore or need a break from life.
Not me giving this place free PR hehe!
