Freedom Park, Lagos
The Freedom Park of Lagos is a place that you would not want to miss! The park is located in the center of Lagos Central District in Lagos Island, Lagos. There are three entrances where visitors can enter from. The park contains several food courts, bars, and a lounge. The park is a great place for people to relax and enjoy the mesmerizing scenery of the Freedom Park. If you are looking for attractions, there is also an abundance of interesting attractions. For example, you may want to visit the amphitheater. There, you will be able to watch plays performed in a outdoor environment, just like the people of ancient Greece.
Freedom park is not just a place for leisure, but also a memorial for Nigerians. The park originally served as a prisonhouse in the British colonial period. Here, the British people used to imprison, torture, and execute Nigerians who refuse to follow British laws. We can still see the lasting effects of the British colonization through Nigeria’s official language: English. During the colonial times, many Nigerians were converted into Christianity, which is why Nigeria has a significant amount of Christians. Today, there are many religious conflicts involving Christianity and Nigeria’s other major religion: Islam. Many healthy Nigerians were forced to work long hours and often without pay. In addition, they also introduced taxes, which made the people struggled even harder to get by. The British also divided the country into sections: Eastern, Northern, and Western. Due to colonization, Nigerians lost their language, authority, and ultimately, their heritage. Today, there are about 500 languages spoken in Nigeria, however the rest are either extinct or rarely spoken.
When Nigeria regained their independence in 1960, a man named Theo Lawson transformed the Old Broad Street prison into a memorial park. The vision that he had when built this park was to change the prison into a symbol of freedom, thus the Freedom Park was born. The park serves to honor the patriotism of the Nigerians who rose up to the British. These people include Herbert Macaulay, Chief Cbafemi Awolowo, Chief Michael Imodu, Sir Adeyemo Alakija and others. The park was build on October 2010 for the 50th anniversary of Nigerian independence. Please stop by to relax and enjoy the beautiful park and the rich history behind it. We promise that it will be worth every last second!