A City Built on Forgotten Sorrows
On the coast of Nigeria, where the Atlantic Ocean crashes against golden beaches and the skyline bristles with modern skyscrapers, lies Lagos—a city of contradictions. It is Africa's largest metropolis, a hub of commerce, culture, and innovation. But beneath its vibrant surface lies a darker history, one that is often overlooked in the rush toward the future. Lagos was once one of the most significant ports in the transatlantic slave trade, a place where millions of Africans were torn from their homes and shipped across the ocean in chains. The remnants of this history are still visible, if you know where to look: in the crumbling walls of old slave markets, in the names of streets and neighborhoods, and in the oral histories passed down through generations.
This is not just a story of the past. It is a living history, one that shapes the present in ways both seen and unseen. The slave trade did not just disappear—it left scars on the land, on the people, and on the very identity of Lagos. To walk through its streets is to tread on ground where the echoes of suffering still linger, where the ocean still carries the memories of those who were lost, and where the descendants of survivors continue to grapple with the legacy of what came before.
The Rise of Lagos: From Fishing Village to Slave Port
The Origins of a Trading Hub
Long before it became a megacity, Lagos was a small fishing village known as Eko, settled by the Awori people. Its natural harbor made it an ideal location for trade, and by the 15th century, it had grown into a bustling market town. Portuguese explorers arrived in the late 1400s, drawn by the promise of gold, ivory, and pepper. But it was another commodity that would come to define Lagos: human beings.
By the 16th century, Lagos had become a key player in the transatlantic slave trade. Its location on the Bight of Benin made it a convenient stopping point for European slave ships, and its rulers—first the Obas of Benin and later local Yoruba and Awori chiefs—profited from the trade. The city's economy became dependent on the buying and selling of people, and its growth was fueled by the suffering of millions.
The Portuguese and the Beginning of the Trade
The Portuguese were the first Europeans to establish a presence in Lagos, building a fort on the island in the 16th century. They named the settlement Lagos, after the Portuguese city of the same name, and it became a center for the trade in enslaved Africans. By the 17th century, the Dutch, English, and French had also established trading posts in the area, competing for control of the lucrative slave market.
The slave trade in Lagos operated on a brutal efficiency. Captives, often taken from the interior during wars or raids, were brought to the coast and held in barracoons—prison-like structures where they were kept until ships arrived. The conditions were horrific: disease, starvation, and abuse were rampant. Those who survived the wait were loaded onto ships and sent across the Atlantic, never to return.
The Rise of the Badagry Slave Route
Just outside Lagos, the town of Badagry became one of the most infamous slave ports in West Africa. Between the 15th and 19th centuries, it is estimated that over 500,000 Africans passed through Badagry on their way to the Americas. The town's slave market, known as the Point of No Return, was where captives took their last steps on African soil before being forced onto ships.
The journey from the interior to Badagry was itself a nightmare. Captives were marched for hundreds of miles, chained together, often dying of exhaustion or disease along the way. Those who made it to Badagry were held in barracoons while they waited for ships to arrive. The Vlekete Slave Market in Badagry still stands today, a stark reminder of the cruelty that took place there.
The Slave Trade in Lagos: How It Worked
The Barracoons of Lagos Island
On Lagos Island, near the present-day Marina district, stood the barracoons where captives were held before being sold. These structures were little more than prisons, with dark, airless rooms where people were packed together in chains. Disease spread quickly, and many died before they could be sold.
One of the most notorious barracoons was located near the present-day Freedom Park, a former colonial prison that has been repurposed as a museum and cultural center. The site was once a holding pen for enslaved Africans, and the memories of their suffering still linger in the air. Visitors to Freedom Park can walk through the old prison cells and see the remnants of the barracoons, a sobering reminder of the city's past.
The Role of Local Rulers
The slave trade in Lagos was not just a European enterprise—it was a collaboration between African rulers and European traders. Local chiefs, such as the Oba of Lagos and the rulers of Badagry, profited from the trade, selling captives taken in wars or raids. The Aro Confederacy, a powerful Igbo trading network, also played a significant role in supplying captives to the coast.
This collaboration is a difficult part of Lagos's history to confront. It challenges the narrative of Africans as solely victims of the slave trade and forces a reckoning with the role that African elites played in the transatlantic system. The legacy of this collaboration is still felt today, in the tensions between different ethnic groups and in the way history is remembered—or forgotten.
The Middle Passage from Lagos
From Lagos and Badagry, captives were loaded onto ships for the Middle Passage—the brutal journey across the Atlantic. The conditions on these ships were unimaginable: people were packed into tight spaces, chained together, and forced to lie in their own waste. Disease spread rapidly, and many died before reaching the Americas.
The ships that left Lagos carried their human cargo to the Caribbean, Brazil, and the southern United States. The descendants of these captives are now spread across the diaspora, their histories tied to the ports where their ancestors were last free.
The Hidden Relics: Where to Find the Slave Trade's Footprints
Freedom Park: From Prison to Memorial
One of the most significant slave trade relics in Lagos is Freedom Park, located on the site of a former colonial prison. The prison was built in the 19th century on the grounds of a former slave market, and it later became a holding place for political prisoners during the colonial era.
Today, Freedom Park is a cultural center and memorial. Visitors can explore the old prison cells, see the remnants of the slave market, and walk through exhibits that tell the story of Lagos's role in the transatlantic slave trade. The park also hosts cultural events, art exhibitions, and performances that celebrate African heritage and resilience.
The Badagry Slave Route
Just an hour's drive from Lagos, the town of Badagry offers a haunting journey through the slave trade's history. The Badagry Slave Route is a series of sites that trace the path captives took from the interior to the coast. Key stops include:
- The Vlekete Slave Market: Where captives were bought and sold. The market's ruins still stand, and the air is heavy with the weight of history.
- The Barracoon of Seriki Abass: A preserved slave holding cell where captives were kept before being shipped across the Atlantic.
- The Point of No Return: A memorial on the beach where captives took their last steps on African soil. The waves here seem to carry the echoes of their cries.
- The First Storey Building in Nigeria: Built by returned slaves in the 19th century, it now houses a museum on the slave trade.
Walking the slave route is a deeply moving experience. The guides, many of whom are descendants of survivors, share stories passed down through generations, bringing the history to life in a way that no textbook can.
The Brazilian Quarter
In the heart of Lagos Island lies the Brazilian Quarter, a neighborhood founded by returned slaves from Brazil in the 19th century. After slavery was abolished in Brazil in 1888, many freed Africans returned to Lagos, bringing with them Brazilian culture, architecture, and religion.
The Brazilian Quarter is home to the Afro-Brazilian Museum, which tells the story of these returnees and their impact on Lagos. The neighborhood's colorful houses, Catholic churches, and Carnival traditions are a living testament to the cultural exchange that took place across the Atlantic.
The Waterfront and the Slave Jetties
Along Lagos's waterfront, near the present-day Apapa and Tin Can Island ports, were the jetties where slave ships once anchored. These areas, now bustling with modern shipping activity, were once the last sight of Africa for millions of captives.
Local fishermen and elders still tell stories of the slave jetties, where the water is said to run red with the blood of those who resisted being loaded onto the ships. Some believe that the spirits of the drowned still linger in these waters, and that the ocean itself carries the memories of the lost.
The Human Stories: Voices from the Slave Trade
The Captives' Journey
The stories of those who were taken from Lagos and Badagry are often lost to history, but some accounts have survived. Oral histories passed down through generations tell of the horror of the slave trade:
- The Raids: Many captives were taken during raids on villages in the interior. Families were torn apart, and those who resisted were often killed on the spot.
- The March: The journey to the coast could take weeks or even months. Captives were chained together and forced to walk barefoot over rough terrain. Many died along the way.
- The Barracoons: Those who survived the march were held in barracoons, where they were often beaten, starved, and abused. Disease was rampant, and many died before they could be sold.
- The Middle Passage: The journey across the Atlantic was the final horror. Captives were packed into the holds of ships, chained together, and forced to endure weeks of suffering. Many died from disease, starvation, or suicide.
The Story of Seriki Abass
One of the most famous figures in Badagry's slave trade history is Seriki Abass, a former slave who became a wealthy slave trader. Born in present-day Benin, Abass was captured and sold into slavery in Brazil. After gaining his freedom, he returned to Badagry and became one of the most powerful slave traders in the region.
Abass's story is a complex one. He was both a victim and a perpetrator of the slave trade, and his life reflects the complicated role that Africans played in the transatlantic system. His barracoon still stands in Badagry, a stark reminder of the trade's brutality.
The Returned Slaves
Not all of those taken from Lagos and Badagry ended up in the Americas. Some were rescued by British anti-slavery patrols and returned to Africa. Others, after emancipation, chose to return to their homeland.
The returned slaves, known as Agudas in Nigeria, brought back with them new skills, religions, and cultures. Many settled in Lagos and Badagry, where they built churches, schools, and businesses. Their legacy is still visible today in the architecture, cuisine, and traditions of these cities.
The Legacy of the Slave Trade in Modern Lagos
The Cultural Impact
The slave trade left a deep cultural imprint on Lagos. The city's music, religion, and even its language bear the marks of the transatlantic exchange. Yoruba spiritual traditions, such as the worship of the orishas, spread to the Americas and returned transformed, blending with Catholicism and other African religions to create new faiths like Candomblé in Brazil and Santería in Cuba.
In Lagos, these traditions are still alive. The Eyo Festival, a masquerade tradition with roots in Yoruba spirituality, is believed to have been influenced by the return of enslaved people from Brazil. The festival's white-robed figures, known as Eyo masquerades, are said to represent the spirits of the ancestors, including those lost to the slave trade.
The Economic Scars
The slave trade also left economic scars on Lagos. While the city grew wealthy from the trade, the long-term effects were devastating. The loss of millions of people—many of them young and able-bodied—depleted the region's workforce and stunted its development. The trade also created a culture of violence and exploitation that persisted long after slavery was abolished.
Today, Lagos is one of Africa's most dynamic economies, but the legacy of the slave trade is still felt in the city's inequalities. The wealth generated by the trade was concentrated in the hands of a few, and the descendants of those who profited still hold much of the city's economic power. Meanwhile, the descendants of the enslaved often struggle with poverty and marginalization.
The Psychological Wounds
The psychological wounds of the slave trade are perhaps the most enduring. The trauma of being torn from one's home, of being treated as less than human, of losing family and culture—this trauma was passed down through generations. In Lagos, as in much of the African diaspora, the effects of this trauma are still felt today.
Many Lagosians are descended from both the enslaved and the enslavers, creating a complex web of identity and memory. The slave trade is not just a historical event—it is a living part of the city's identity, one that shapes relationships, politics, and even the way people see themselves.
The Slave Trade's Hidden Histories: What Was Lost
The Erasure of Names and Identities
One of the greatest tragedies of the slave trade was the erasure of names and identities. Captives were often given new names by their captors, and their true names—along with their languages, cultures, and histories—were lost. In Lagos, as in other slave ports, the identities of millions of people were stripped away, leaving only fragments of who they were.
Efforts are now being made to recover these lost identities. Projects like the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade Database and the African Diaspora Heritage Trail are working to trace the origins of captives and reconnect descendants with their ancestral homes. In Lagos, oral historians and genealogists are collecting stories from elders, trying to piece together the fragments of history that remain.
The Lost Languages and Cultures
The slave trade also resulted in the loss of languages and cultures. Captives taken from Lagos and the surrounding regions spoke Yoruba, Ewe, Fon, and other African languages. But on the slave ships and in the Americas, they were forced to adopt new languages—Portuguese, Spanish, English, or French. Over time, their original languages were lost, along with the stories, songs, and traditions that were passed down through speech.
Today, linguists and cultural historians are working to revive these lost languages and traditions. In Lagos, organizations like the Centre for Black and African Arts and Civilization are documenting oral histories and preserving cultural practices that survived the slave trade. The Yoruba language, in particular, has seen a resurgence, as descendants in the diaspora seek to reconnect with their roots.
The Broken Families
Perhaps the most painful legacy of the slave trade is the broken families. Millions of people were torn from their homes, never to see their loved ones again. The trauma of this separation was passed down through generations, and its effects are still felt today.
In Lagos, as in other parts of Africa, efforts are being made to reconnect families torn apart by the slave trade. DNA testing and genealogical research have helped some descendants trace their roots back to specific regions and even villages. The African Ancestry project, for example, has helped thousands of people in the diaspora reconnect with their African heritage.
The Modern Movement: Reckoning with the Past
The Call for Reparations
In recent years, there has been a growing movement in Lagos and across Africa to demand reparations for the slave trade. Activists argue that the wealth generated by the trade was built on the suffering of millions, and that the descendants of those who were enslaved are still feeling the effects of that exploitation.
In Lagos, this movement has taken the form of protests, petitions, and cultural events that aim to raise awareness of the slave trade's legacy. Organizations like the African Reparations Movement are pushing for financial compensation, as well as investments in education, healthcare, and infrastructure to address the ongoing effects of the trade.
The Rise of Heritage Tourism
Heritage tourism has become an important way for Lagos to reckon with its past. Sites like Freedom Park and the Badagry Slave Route are not just tourist attractions—they are places of memory, where visitors can learn about the slave trade and its impact on the city.
These sites also provide economic opportunities for local communities. Guides, many of whom are descendants of survivors, share their knowledge and stories with visitors, ensuring that the history of the slave trade is not forgotten. The tourism industry in Lagos is increasingly focused on responsible and ethical travel, emphasizing education and cultural exchange over exploitation.
The Role of Art and Memory
Art has become a powerful tool for remembering and reckoning with the slave trade. In Lagos, artists are using their work to explore the city's history and its ongoing effects. The African Artists' Foundation and the Nike Art Gallery showcase works that address the slave trade, from paintings and sculptures to performance art and installations.
One of the most powerful examples is the Badagry Slave Port Memorial, a series of sculptures and installations that honor the memory of those who were taken from the city. The memorial includes a statue of a captive in chains, looking out toward the ocean—a poignant reminder of the last sight of Africa for so many.
Visiting Lagos: How to Explore Its Slave Trade History
Freedom Park
Freedom Park is a must-visit for anyone interested in Lagos's slave trade history. The park is built on the site of a former colonial prison, which was itself constructed on the grounds of a slave market. Visitors can explore the old prison cells, see the remnants of the slave market, and walk through exhibits that tell the story of Lagos's role in the transatlantic slave trade.
The park also hosts cultural events, art exhibitions, and performances that celebrate African heritage and resilience. It is a place of memory, but also of hope—a reminder that the past can be confronted and honored.
Badagry Slave Route
A visit to Badagry is a deeply moving experience. The town's slave route includes several key sites:
- The Vlekete Slave Market: Where captives were bought and sold. The market's ruins still stand, and the air is heavy with the weight of history.
- The Barracoon of Seriki Abass: A preserved slave holding cell where captives were kept before being shipped across the Atlantic.
- The Point of No Return: A memorial on the beach where captives took their last steps on African soil.
- The First Storey Building in Nigeria: Built by returned slaves in the 19th century, it now houses a museum on the slave trade.
Guided tours are available, and the guides—many of whom are descendants of survivors—share stories passed down through generations, bringing the history to life in a way that no textbook can.
The Brazilian Quarter
The Brazilian Quarter in Lagos Island is a living testament to the cultural exchange that took place across the Atlantic. Founded by returned slaves from Brazil in the 19th century, the neighborhood is home to the Afro-Brazilian Museum, which tells the story of these returnees and their impact on Lagos.
The quarter's colorful houses, Catholic churches, and Carnival traditions are a blend of African and Brazilian cultures, a reminder of the resilience and creativity of those who survived the slave trade.
The Waterfront and Slave Jetties
The waterfront areas near Apapa and Tin Can Island were once the jetties where slave ships anchored. While these areas are now bustling with modern shipping activity, they still carry the weight of history. Local fishermen and elders tell stories of the slave jetties, where the water is said to run red with the blood of those who resisted being loaded onto the ships.
Visitors can take boat tours along the waterfront, where guides share the history of the slave trade and point out the spots where captives were last seen on African soil.
The True Haunting of Lagos
The real haunting of Lagos is not the ghost stories or the legends—it is the weight of history itself. It is the knowledge that this vibrant, modern city was built on the suffering of millions. It is the understanding that the slave trade did not just disappear—it left scars on the land, on the people, and on the very identity of the city.
But Lagos is also a place of resilience. The descendants of those who were taken, of those who stayed, and of those who returned have built a city that is a testament to survival. The music, the art, the culture—all of it carries the memory of what was lost, but also the hope of what can be rebuilt.
To walk through Lagos is to walk through layers of history—from the ancient Awori fishing villages to the bustling modern metropolis. It is to see the remnants of the slave trade in the names of streets, in the architecture of the Brazilian Quarter, and in the stories passed down through generations. It is to understand that the past is not just remembered—it is lived, every day, in the hearts and minds of those who call this city home.
In the end, Lagos is not just a city of the present—it is a city of memory. And in its streets, its markets, and its waterfronts, the echoes of the past still whisper.
References
- Akyeampong, E. (2001). Between the Sea and the Lagoon: An Eco-social History of the Anlo of Ghana. Ohio University Press.
- Lovejoy, P. E. (2000). Transformations in Slavery: A History of Slavery in Africa. Cambridge University Press.
- Law, R. (1991). The Slave Coast of West Africa, 1550-1750: The Impact of the Slave Trade on an African Society. Oxford University Press.
- The Guardian. (2019). The Slave Trade’s Hidden History in Lagos. theguardian.com
- BBC Travel. (2020). The Forgotten Slave Ports of West Africa. bbc.com
- Al Jazeera. (2018). Lagos: The City Built on the Slave Trade. aljazeera.com
- Freedom Park Lagos. (2021). History and Cultural Heritage. freedomparklagos.org
- Badagry Heritage Museum. (2021). The Slave Route and Its Legacy. badagryheritagemuseum.org
