31st August, 2015
By Jeff Ezemadu
It was fanfare at the week-long Badagry festival which climaxed on Sunday at the Badagry Grammar School, Lagos, western Nigeria.
All kinds of masquerades, dancers, fire eaters demonstrated their dexterity during the colourful festival.
Notable among them was the display by the famous Sankweto masquerade which kept the large crowd screaming with excitement.
The festival brought together all illustrious sons and daughters of the ancient town.
Addressing the crowd, the representative of the Akran of Badagry, High Chief Onuosekan Gbewa 1, Jengen of Badagry praised the organisers of the event and the people of Badagry for keeping alive their rich culture.
According to him, the festival has put Badagry on the world map as a community that has rich cultural heritage.
The yearly festival, with this year’s titled Badagry Diaspora Festival, has spanned over a decade now.
Those that graced the occasion include, Hon. Joseph Bamgbose, member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Eng. Prince Setonji David, member Lagos State House of Assembly, representing Badagry 2 Constituency among other high Chiefs and dignitaries.
Delivering his speech, Hon. Setonji said the event was not only the biggest cultural festival in Nigeria, but also attracted numerous tourists to Badagry Kingdom.
He advised the youths to be of good behaviour.
The festival which started on 21 August, had all the clans otherwise referred to in Badagry as quarters represented by their masquerades.
