The Portuguese initially bought slaves for
resale on the Gold Coast, where enslaved Africans were traded
for gold. Because of this, the south western coast of Nigeria
and neighbouring parts of the present-day Republic of Benin
(not to be confused with the kingdom of Benin) became known
as the "slave coast." In the late sixteenth century,
the Portuguese looked to the Bight of Benin for its supply of
African slaves. By then they were concentrating activities on
the Angolan coast, which supplied roughly 40 percent of all
slaves shipped to the Americas throughout the duration of the
transatlantic trade, but they always maintained a presence on
the Nigerian coast. Nigeria kept its important position in the
slave trade throughout the great expansion of the transatlantic
trade after the middle of the seventeenth century. Slightly
more slaves came from the Nigerian coast than from Angola in
the eighteenth century, while in the nineteenth century perhaps
30 percent of all slaves sent across the Atlantic came from
Nigeria. Over the period of the whole trade, more than 3.5 million
slaves were shipped from Nigeria to the Americas. Most of these
slaves were Igbo and Yoruba, with significant concentrations
of Hausa, Ibibio, and other ethnic groups.
Badagry
This ancient town of
Badagry was founded around l425 A.D. Before its existence, people
lived along the Coast of Gberefu and this area later gave birth
to the town of Badagry. It is the second largest commercial town
in Lagos State, located an hour from Lagos and half an hour from
the Republic of Benin. The Town of Badagry is bordered on the
south by the Gulf of Guinea and surrounded by creeks, islands
and a lake. The ancient town served mainly the Oyo Empire, which
was comprised of Yoruba and Ogu people. Today, the Aworis and
Egun are mainly the people who live in the town of Badagry as
well as in Ogun State in Nigeria and in the neighbouring Republic
of Benin. In the early 1500's, slaves were transported from West
Africa to America through Badagry. Also Africans were taken to
Europe, South America and the Caribbean. The slaves came mainly
from West Africa and the neighbouring countries of Benin and Togo
as well as other parts of Nigeria. The slave trade became the
major source of income for the Europeans in Badagry. Today, Badagry
is an historic site because of the significant role it played
as a major slave port in Nigeria.
This is the wharf in the old slave port, just outside of Badagry,
from which the slaves were transported across the water to the
island and the ships awaiting their cargo. Enslaved Africans were
taken on a trail half a mile across the Gberefu Island to the
beach, passing a well where they would have paused to drink. At
the end of the trail is a statue of two people linked by chains
around their necks. Under a palm tree next to a wooden sign saying
``POINT OF NO RETURN.''
