Point Of No Return: The most sought tourist destination in Nigeria. 

The Point of No Return in Badagry is one of the most sought after tourist’s destination not only in Nigeria but in the world.  On a visit to the Point of No Return, one could see the benefits of tourists who flock to the place to see were there great grandfather was exported to Europe and America for slavery.

  As historic of the slave trade has it, can be said that one of the most important aspect of the slave trade in Nigeria is the Point of No Return because it mark the beginning of the journey into the unknown for the captured slaves.

Badagry town in the western tip of Lagos were the Point of No Return is located has many things going for it. Aside from the fact that it remains serene and full of unspoiled nature, it also happens to be a very historic place with regards to Nigeria’s journey to independence. What’s more Badagry was also a major slave port while the Trans-Atlantic slave trade lasted for four decades. At some point it became the largest slave market on the West African coast, seeing to the buying and selling of 300 slaves a day.

The historic place (Point of No Return) due to modernization and preservation still have the reminiscent of its original selves and one could feel with deep touch the kind of physiological trauma those captured slaves went through during that period. The Point of No Return is not only the historic place that will touch the heart of any tourist on a visit to Badagry but also the various slave cells were they were kept after captivity before been sold to the white slave merchants.

That is why today Badagry were the Point of No Return is located has been one of the lucrative tourist destinations in Nigeria. As old as the slave trade is and as old as the abolition is tourists mostly from the Diasporas every year comes in thousands to see the point where there great grand fathers were loaded into the ships of the slave merchants to the world of the unknown.

Slave trade in Badagry the location of this dreaded place was the thriving business of the elite then in Badagry and that is why the activities of the white slave merchants were paramount in the area owning to the fact that the Atlantic Ocean in Badagry makes it possible for them to sail in and buy their human cargo.

In the early 1500's, slaves were transported from West Africa to America through The Point of No Return in Badagry. It is reported that Badagry exported no fewer than 550,000 African slaves to America during the period of the American Independence in l787 through this point.

These actually makes the Point of No Return one of the best sought after tourist destination for many Black Americans and other people in the diasporas wishing to know and see the very place that their great grand fathers were capture, tortured and exported to Europe and America as slaves.

The location of the Point of No Return in Badagry has actually brought some economic benefits to the inhabitants of the area because locals leaving in Badagry have benefited immensely from the inflow of tourist to the town, hospitality providers have also benefited from the inflow of tourist to the area. Badagry is a host to many cultural and Diaspora activities for tourists such as The Black Heritage Festival, Olokun Festival, Badagry Festival and Egungun Festival.

The Black Heritage Festival was actually started during the reign of the former governor of Lagos State Asiwaju Bola Tinubu to further promote tourism in the state and also bring the natives in Diaspora back home.

The two editions of the festival took place before he handed over to the present governor, Babatunde Raji Fashola. The festivals attracted African-Americans in large numbers.

The festival was also meant to attract investment to the town from blacks in the Diaspora. And this is in a way paying off as one of pop superstar Michael Jackson’s brothers, Marlon, is involved in a plan to develop a $3.4bn (£2.4bn) slavery memorial and luxury resort in Badagry.