The chairman/CEO of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), Abike Dabiri-Erewa, says President Bola Tinubu will receive more than 2,000 people coming on a historical voyage to Badagry during the 2026 Diaspora Festival.

Mrs Dabiri-Erewa disclosed this during the Fifth Door of Return Ceremony of The Diaspora Festival in Badagry on Saturday.

According to her, the voyage will be organised by Wole Soyinka, a Nigerian playwright and 1986 Nobel Laureate.

“Next year, under the chairmanship of Soyinka, we are planning historical voyage events where we will experience a real journey from Brazil and Cuba to Nigeria.

“Today’s event is just a test run. President Tinubu started Black Heritage when he was the governor of Lagos State, so he will be here to receive those coming in on Soyinka’s historical voyage,” she said.

She commended Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State for building the permanent Door of Return in Badagry.

Also speaking, Mr Soyinka emphasised that the voyage of the African people remained incomplete until they reconnected with their ancestral roots.

Mr Soyinka described the festival as a symbolic launchpad for the long-awaited return, praying for the safe homecoming of all Africans in the diaspora.

Idris Aregbe, the Special Adviser on Tourism, Arts and Culture to Mr Sanwo-Olu, described the festival as a “living testament to Lagos’ commitment to cultural renaissance and diaspora unity.”

Mr Aregbe, who represented Mr Sanwo-Olu, commended the people of Badagry for sustaining their legacy as the cradle of return and pledged the state’s continued support to amplify its global recognition.

Bonu Solomon, chairman of the House Committee on Tourism, Lagos State House of Assembly, lauded the festival’s symbolic value, saying it was “a heritage bridge between Africa and her children abroad.”

He assured continued legislative backing for initiatives that promoted tourism, culture, and the preservation of Lagos’ historical identity.

In his remarks, Mr Babatunde Hunpe, the chairman of Badagry Local Government, reaffirmed his administration’s readiness to keep supporting the festival and other cultural programmes that deepened the town’s tourism and economic growth.

(NAN)