Lagos to host 2017 diaspora festivalThe 2017 Diaspora Badagry Festival themed “Voyage to Heritage” will hold in Lagos from August 23-25, 2017, organisers have said.
The 3-day festival is jointly organised by the African Renaissance Foundation, D&D Global Links Limited and Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Foreign Affairs and Diaspora.
It would feature emotional ceremony tagged, ‘Door of Return,’ a statement by the organisers said.
“This event is very significant because for the first time in Nigeria, a door of return is opened for the Diasporans, whose ancestors were historically taken away as slaves, through the point of no return in Badagry several years ago,” the statement read.
Activities include carnival procession, boat regatta, fishing competition, dark era procession, diaspora dinner, among other exciting activities.
An international symposium with the theme, “African Diaspora beyond the Atlantic: Dynamics and Significance in the Latin American World and Elsewhere” will hold on Tuesday August 22, 2017.
Speaking at the unveiling of the event’s logo in Lagos, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Foreign Affairs, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, said celebrating the return of Diasporans and their connection to homeland would definitely enhance tourism.