The Lagos State Government has said the remodelled Vlekete Slave Market museum in Badagry will soon be inaugurated as a major tourist site.

The Special Adviser to the Governor on Tourism, Arts and Culture, Mr Solomon Bonu, said this in a statement on Monday.

Bonu was quoted to have said this during an assessment tour of the project in Badagry.

He said, “The Vlekete Slave Market museum would soon be opened for use by members of the public as the approval for its rehabilitation further reaffirmed the status of Badagry as a major tourism destination in Lagos State and by extension, Nigeria.

“The rehabilitation, remodelling and equipping of the Vlekete Slave Market museum with historical artefacts have now reached over 95 per cent completion stage and would soon be commissioned by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu who has given approval for the museum based on his conviction about the importance of the historical narratives behind the project.”

The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Mrs Adenike Adedoyin-Ajayi, said the museum, when completed, will re-enact the memory of the slave trade.

“The Vlekete Slave Market was adjudged to be one of the most populous slave markets in West Africa during the slave trade period.

“When the international museum is completed, it will serve as a major tourism attraction for Nigerians within and outside the country and also re-enact the memory of the Trans-Atlantic slave trade and its abolition several decades ago,” she said.

The Director, Monument Management Department, Mr Olatunde Lawal, commended the contractor that handled the re-modelling of the museum for the quality job done.