By Raji Rasak
Mrs Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Chairman/CEO of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), says President Bola Tinubu will receive more than 2000 people coming on a historical voyage to Badagry during the 2026 Diaspora Festival.
Dabiri-Erewa disclosed this during the Fifth Door of Return Ceremony of The Diaspora Festival in Badagry on Saturday.
According to her, the voyage will be organised by Prof. Wole Soyinka, a Nigerian playwright and 1986 Nobel Laureate.
“Next year, under the chairmanship of Soyinka, we are planning historical voyage events where we will experience real journey from Brazil and Cuba to Nigeria.
“Today’s event is just a test run.
“President Tinubu started Black Heritage when he was the governor of Lagos State, so he will be here to receive those coming in on Soyinka’s historical voyage,” she said
She commended Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State for building the permanent Door of Return in Badagry.
Also speaking, Prof. Soyinka said that every journey had two parts, departure and return.
He emphasised that the voyage of the African people remained incomplete until they reconnected with their ancestral roots.
Soyinka described the festival as a symbolic launchpad for the long-awaited return, praying for the safe homecoming of all Africans in Diaspora.
Mr Idris Aregbe, the Special Adviser on Tourism, Arts and Culture to Gov. Sanwo-Olu, described the festival as a “living testament to Lagos’ commitment to cultural renaissance and diaspora unity.”
Aregbe, who represented Sanwo-Olu, commended the people of Badagry for sustaining its legacy as the cradle of return and pledging the state’s continued support to amplify its global recognition.
Mr Bonu Solomon, Chairman, House Committee on Tourism, Lagos State House of Assembly, lauded the festival’s symbolic value, saying it was “a heritage bridge between Africa and her children abroad.”
He assured of continued legislative backing for initiatives that promoted tourism, culture and the preservation of Lagos’ historical identity.
In his remarks, Mr Babatunde Hunpe, Chairman, Badagry Local Government, highlighted the sacred role of Badagry as the soil of return.
Hunpe reaffirmed his administration’s readiness to keep supporting the festival and other cultural programmes that deepened the town’s tourism and economic growth.
Mrs Miriam Palmero, Ambassador of Cuba to Nigeria, expressed delight at the enduring spiritual and cultural bond between Africa and the Caribbean.
Dr David Anderson, the leader of the returnees from United States, described the Door of Return as a door of joy and happiness.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Prof. Soyinka presented Certificates of Return to 57 international returnees, including the families of Mere Jah from the United Kingdom and other Diaspora groups.
The ceremony was graced by dancing masqueraders, Zangheto display and lots of colourful displays by different quarters in Badagry. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
Edited by Christiana Fadare
