The ancient town of Badagry according to historical sources was founded in the 15th century around 1421. Gbagleme was the original name for the ancient town and the name is still in use till today. The name by which the town is known today BADAGRY, was derived from the name of a hunter/farmer by name AGBEDEH who cultivated a vegetable garden/farm settlement on account of which he became so popular with the people. Because of the insatiable appetite and love for vegetables by the OGU people and of the favourable disposition of Agbedeh whose offered traditional characteristic hospitality to natives, visitors and strangers alike, the word AGBADAGREME “ meaning in Ogu language “farm of Agbedeh” became a household name throughout the area and European traders, explores and missionaries corrupted it to BADAGRY in those days.
The town has grown from a small principality to a land of history having recorded many first. The first town in West Africa to become urbanized, the first town not only in Nigerian but throughout the old West Africa that can boast of a two storey building in 1845, which still stands on the site of the original church yard till today, the gate way to Christianity and where Christianity was first preached in 1842, and the first beach head in Nigerian of the famous international traffic in human cargo.
