A prominent tourism, heritage, and cultural preservation advocate, and The President/Founder, Badagry Heritage Memory Initiative (BHMI), Hunkanlin Ijinla, has called for the reopening of Badagry’s heritage to the world.
He said that Badagry has reached a point where they must begin deliberately opening it to Nigeria and to the world, stressing that “Badagry must not be left behind.”
Ijinla made the call in an open letter to the government and people of Lagos State, Badagry Local Government, traditional institutions, National Commission for Museums and Monuments, Nigeria National Commission for UNESCO, tourism practitioners, heritage professionals, privatesector partners, community leaders and all stakeholders in Nigeria’s cultural heritage sector.
In the Letter, Ijinla, who is the Zonlingbedudugan of Badagry Kingdom (An Icon of Tourism), widely recognised for his extensive work in preserving local history—particularly surrounding the transatlantic slave trade—and advocating for cultural heritage development, said he wrote this open letter not merely as a tourism practitioner or traditional chief, but as a concerned custodian and advocate of the heritage of Badagry, noting that from 14–16 September 2026, he had the privilege of participating in the ACERCA Workshop: “Heritage as a Tool for Integration in the Tourism Sector in Badagry,” held at ASCON, Badagry.
He emphasised the need to come together and establish a coordinated Badagry Heritage Development and Conservation Framework.
This framework, he said, should begin with practical steps: systematic documentation, conservation, development of the Point of No Return responsibly, putting the community at the centre, and the creation of a longterm UNESCO Roadmap.
“We need systematic documentation of our historical buildings, monuments, sacred places, traditional institutions, oral histories, cultural practices, routes, waterfronts, archaeological resources and other heritage assets. What is not documented can easily be forgotten.
“Heritage conservation cannot wait until our historical structures and cultural landscapes have disappeared. There must be deliberate efforts to identify vulnerable heritage resources and develop appropriate conservation and management measures.”
He added that The Point of No Return should be developed not merely as another tourist attraction, but as a professionally interpreted heritage destination. “Visitors should be able to understand the history, the people, the routes, the landscape and the human stories associated with the site.
“The people of Badagry must not become spectators in the development of their own heritage. Tour guides, boat operators, artisans, souvenir producers, women, young people, historians, cultural practitioners, traditional institutions and local businesses should all have meaningful opportunities to participate.”
Ijinla also emphasised that “Badagry’s possible journey toward UNESCO recognition must be approached through proper research, documentation, comparative analysis, conservation planning, community participation and the appropriate Nigerian institutional processes.
“It should not be reduced to a slogan. It should become a professional, evidencebased and community-supported heritage programme.”
Heritage conservation and tourism, he stated, should support one another, adding that if properly managed, heritage tourism can create opportunities for employment, local businesses, tour guiding, transportation, hospitality, crafts, food, cultural performances, research, education and investment.
He also emphasised the need to develop a coordinated roadmap for the documentation, conservation, interpretation, development and international promotion of Badagry’s heritage.
According to him, “Badagry has reached a point where we must stop talking about our heritage only among ourselves. We must begin deliberately opening it to Nigeria and to the world.” He recalled that during the workshop, their group worked on the important project: “Opening Badagry Point of No Return to the World: A Community-Led Heritage Project.
“This was not simply a classroom exercise. It made us examine what could happen if Badagry’s heritage resources were properly documented, conserved, interpreted, promoted and connected to the international tourism community.”
The Point of No Return, he noted, is not simply a physical location, stressing that it represents a powerful historical memory connected to the history of the transatlantic slave trade, human movement, resistance, survival, cultural exchange and the African Diaspora.
“Properly developed and responsibly interpreted, it can become part of a broader heritage experience connecting Badagry’s historical sites, traditional institutions, indigenous culture, waterfronts, oral traditions, museums, tourism practitioners, community enterprises and the wider international heritage community.”
