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By: Manoah Kikekon
MAEJT Nigeria has took young participants on an unforgettable journey through history In commemoration of Children’s Day 2025, visiting Badagry Heritage Museum, the First Storey Building in Nigeria, and the Vlekete Slave Market.
The tour, designed to educate children on the horrors of slavery and its modern-day parallels, left a lasting impact on attendees from Ajara, Seme, Ikoga, and Okanran communities.
The tour began at the Badagry Heritage Museum, where children were confronted with chilling artifacts chains, manacles, and historical documents that narrated the brutal transatlantic slave trade. Guides explained how Africans were captured, sold, and shipped overseas, with many perishing under inhumane conditions.
The children learned about the division between field slaves, forced into grueling labor, and domestic slaves, who faced servitude in homes a stark reminder of exploitative practices that still exist today.
Next, the group visited Nigeria’s First Storey Building, constructed in 1845 by missionaries. Here, the children explored the origins of Western education and Christianity in Nigeria. Climbing the historic wooden stairs, they reflected on how knowledge became a tool for liberation contrasting sharply with the ignorance that once made exploitation possible. Facilitators urged the children to value education and use it to fight modern injustices.
The most emotional stop was the Vlekete Slave Market, where enslaved Africans were once auctioned like cattle. The children stood in silence as guides described how families were torn apart and young boys and girls some their age were sold into bondage. Seeing the shackles and holding cells, many expressed shock at the cruelty of the past, drawing connections to present-day child trafficking and forced labor.
A key highlight was the discussion on modern slavery, where MAEJT Nigeria facilitators highlighted ongoing issues like child trafficking, illegal migration, and exploitative labor. Children shared stories from their communities, realizing that slavery hasn’t disappeared it has only changed forms. The session empowered them to speak up, report abuse, and advocate for children’s rights.
The tour ended with a renewed commitment from MAEJT Nigeria and the children to fight against all forms of exploitation. By linking historical atrocities to current injustices, the event succeeded in creating awareness, empathy, and a sense of responsibility among the young participants. MAEJT Nigeria remains dedicated to empowering children and ensuring that the lessons of the past inspire a freer, fairer future.