Badagry
Badagry is a coastal town in South West
Nigeria, lying between
Lagos and the border with
Benin.
Founded in the early
18th Century on a lagoon off the
Gulf of Guinea, its protected harbour led to the town becoming a key port in the export of slaves to the Americas. From the
1840s, following the suppression of the
slave trade, Badagry declined significantly, but became a major site of Christian mission. In
1863, the town was annexed by the
United Kingdom and incorporated into the
Lagos colony. In
1901, it became a part of Nigeria.The correct spelling is Badagry and not Badagri.
Badagry subsists largely on fishing and agriculture, and maintains a small museum of slavery.
