The African Renaissance Foundation (AREFO), in collaboration with the Badagry community, has announced that the 2025 Badagry Diaspora Door of Return Festival will take place from October 9 to 11. The announcement followed wide consultations with stakeholders and was described as a collective decision reached during a meeting held on Sunday, September 21.
The gathering brought together Dr. (Chief) Babatunde Mesewaku of AREFO, traditional rulers, religious leaders, representatives of indigenous and Igbo communities, as well as other cultural stakeholders. It was agreed that this year’s festival will celebrate Badagry’s cultural richness with a symposium at the Palace of the Akran of Badagry, a boat regatta, and colourful cultural performances and processions. The symposium is being organised in partnership with the Institute of Diaspora Studies, University of Ibadan, underscoring the historical and academic relevance of the festival.
The 2025 edition is dedicated to the memory of Mère Jah, an ecological and Pan-African activist from Guadeloupe who, guided by Rastafarian prophecy, relocated with her family to Benin in 1997 as the first Francophone family to repatriate to Africa after 400 years of slavery. Until her passing, she had been a staunch supporter of the festival and an advocate for Afro-descendants’ rights and citizenship in Africa.
Support for the celebration continues to grow. The SMA Foundation, founded by Mr. Samuel Mawuyon Ajose, has confirmed sponsorship, while the organisers await further backing from the Lagos State Government. At the local level, strong assurances have already come from political leaders, including Babatunde Hunpe, Chairman of Badagry Local Government; Ajose Peter Kumayon of Olorunda LCDA; and Rauf Ibrahim Kayode Yemaren of Badagry West LCDA, along with Hon. Sesi Whingan, representing Badagry Federal Constituency.
Organisers stressed that a unique feature of this year’s festival will be the inclusive participation of all ethnic groups in Badagry, alongside Africans from the diaspora who are expected to reconnect with their ancestral homeland during the three-day event.
Reported by: Stone Reporters News
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