The Afro-Brazilian connection to Lagos -exploring the Aguda community, the returnees, and the extraordinary cultural legacy they left behind.
Due to unforeseen circumstances, we are sorry to inform you that the Brazil Independence Day Lagos event scheduled for Monday, 7 September 2026 has been cancelled.
As a token of our appreciation, all confirmed attendees receive a 30% discount on our tours, and are entered into a draw to win a free tour at our Pizza Day celebration -drawn at 2:00 PM on Monday, 14 September 2026.
Thank you for your understanding and continued support. For anything else, reach us on 0904 736 3235 or hello@mylocal.tours.
September 7 marks Brazil's Independence Day. But in Lagos, this date carries a meaning few people know. The story of the Aguda -Yoruba and other West African descendants who were enslaved in Brazil, gained freedom, and returned to Lagos in the 19th century -is one of the most extraordinary chapters in the history of this city.
"The Aguda built houses that still stand in Lagos today. They brought music, food, architecture, and a new kind of identity -part African, part Brazilian, entirely Lagos."
Brazil Independence Day Lagos is a cultural evening that explores the deep historical and cultural connection between Lagos and Brazil. Through storytelling, music, food, and visual documentation, we unpack a history that shaped the architecture of Lagos Island and the identity of an entire community.
When enslaved Yoruba people and other West Africans gained freedom in Brazil in the 19th century, many chose to return to West Africa -primarily to Lagos, Badagry, and Porto-Novo. They brought with them a culture that had been transformed by decades in Brazil: the Portuguese language, Catholicism mixed with Yoruba spirituality, feijoada, capoeira, and a distinctive architectural style that still marks Lagos Island buildings today.
This event is our tribute to that extraordinary story and the community it built.
Due to unforeseen circumstances, Brazil Independence Day Lagos -scheduled for Monday, 7 September 2026 -has been cancelled. No further registrations are being accepted.
For our confirmed attendees:
Thank you for your understanding and continued support.