Telling African Story Re-enacts Slave History – Amb. Anago Osho

Amb. James Akeem Anago-Osho is a talented Storyteller and Antiquarian. He conducts special tours and promotes community and sustainable tourism. He is a renowned cultural diplomat and advocate of African perspectives in African historical curation. He is a roots reconnection researcher. He is ambassador for DNA Tested Africans Descendants. He is a multiple award winning tourism Proffessional and curator at the Slave Museum Badagry and the Afro-Brazilian Cultural Centre Lagos Island. He serves as a Bridge between Africa and Africa Diaspora. He is the Proprietor of Anago James Akeem Osho Adventures, He founded Global Anago Adventures Limited. He is the co-founder and President of Association Of History, Nature And Culture Tour Guides – Nigeria  (AHNACTG). He is the General Secretary of Nigeria Association Of Tour Operators (NATOP). Also, founded Badagry Historical Tours and Benin Republic English Tour. He organizes tour guide and tourism enterpreneurship training across Africa. In this Interview with HANNAH ONI-OGINNI, Amb. Anago Osho speaks on trans Atlantic enslaves trade and his journey in the Tourism sector.

What inspired you to be a tour guide?

I grew up travelling. As a child, while others were reading story books, i grew up reading travel magazines and books. It was my late dad (who usually takes me on his tours), my search for knowledge of history, geography, archaeology and anthropology that ushered me into the world of culture, tour guiding, creative tourism and roots reconnection. Tour guiding gives the opportunity to discover oneself and opens up other opportunities in the tourism industry.

Which of your tour would you say is the most memorable tour?

All my tours are unique and memorable irrespective of the numbers in the group. I have toured between one person, to two in a group and to a single group that consisted of over six hundred (600) visitors. I have toured important dignitaries like Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, the former American Ambassador to Nigeria, Ambassador Walter Carrington, The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, Ojaja 1, the Brazilian Ambassador to Nigeria, Ambassador Francisco Carlos Soares Luz, Dr Julius Garvey, the only surviving son of Marcus Garvey, who propounded the back to Africa movement, and so many more.

I always remember the tour that made me cry. It was a group of Black Hebrew Israelites from U.S. They were on my History Tour and asked me to say on video that “Africans sold Africans to the Americas”. I know about this organization and their purpose. They want a notable African like myself to justify, accept and put his face to the blame game against Africans in the trans Atlantic Slave trade. I told them straight that Slave history differs from one village to another town. That Africans sold Africans is not Slave history. Some of our people collaborated with European Slave merchants but that’s not the whole story. The trans Atlantic Slave trade was intentional. The slaving instruments were manufactured in Europe.

What level of difficulty does being a tour guide entail? Additionally, is there a particular tour you regret guiding?

Physical fitness is a priority in tour guiding. Area knowledge of the community the guide promotes is the basic for the tour guide. A tour guide is a researcher and ambassador. He must understand the past, the present and be able present constructive information to the visitors. He is the ambassador of the tourist product he promotes.

My tours are usually an opportunity to meet people, educate and showcase our land. For me, every tour is an opportunity to learn new things. I don’t have any regret since my activities are characterized by integrity.

What is your perception on Nigeria Tourism Promotion?

The new federal ministry of tourism in Nigeria shows how important the tourism industry is to the present administration. At least, the industry now have representation at the federal executive level where important decisions are made. The minister of tourism, Lola Ade-John has been on her toes travelling across Nigeria and she had been promoting community tourism. We look forward to a positive result of her tourism promotion endeavours. Every local government in Nigeria has a tourist or heritage site that can be promoted and developed. Some state in Nigeria are setting up mechanisms to develop the unique tourism potentials of their states and this is an opportunity for the youths in tourism. The ministry of tourism should work toward the marketing and promotion of Nigeria as a tourist destination. The marketing should be done both domestically and globally. My perception is that things are getting better. Things will get better in the tourism space, as conscious people are getting engaged in the practise. Government agencies should continue to collaborate with stakeholders and promote the efficiency of technology in the industry. Further training should be encouraged. I travel everywhere whenever I have the opportunity to train tour guides and tourism enthusiasts.

You are well versed on trans-Atlantic enslave trade as a tour guide and historian. How fulfilled are you when you talk about Africa, Nigeria’s history to foreign nationals when they visit our historical sites?

Enslave history tour is a unique cultural and research trip. It could be a conscious trip or done unconsciously. The trans Atlantic enslave trade experience was physical and spiritual. And telling the story by re-enacting the past in the past is a mental journey for the adept of slave history. All stories could be told but how and who tells the story makes it special. For example , Amb. Anago Osho tells his story as a reincarnated slave. He believes that He was a slave in his first life. African people were captured physically and spiritually. I am an African Slave history and DNA tested African Descendants ambassador. It is an opportunity for me to tell the African story from the African perspectives and meet families from Africa Diaspora. The position as an ambassador is a very sensitive one. What you portray yourself to be or how the world see you is how your community or country will be perceived (good or bad). Integrity is the basic for me and yet it’s not easy to be trusted because you are from Nigeria. At the end, my works speak for me and i keep getting referrals. This came through patience, long suffering, focus and passion for travel and tourism.

Heritage preservation is a key word in the Tourism space, how best can we preach and promote this word to the community host where we have these heritages?

Heritages are owned by individuals and communities. So therefore, in promoting Heritage preservation, the stakeholders (which includes individuals, group of People and the community) should be engaged. Heritage preservation programs should be designed and training should be encouraged to develop skills among the youths. Tourism training and workshops should be paramount because it educate the community on the importance of preserving heritages and the opportunities it presents. For the community to trust the promoter, integrity should be established. 

As a pioneer in advancing tour guiding in Nigeria and leading the tour guide association that has garnered global recognition for the country, what continues to drive your motivation amidst the challenges faced in Nigeria?

I am fortunate to be among the foremost professional tour guides and tourism professionals in the world. The motivation is the passion for what I do and the opportunities it opens. It is the knowledge of your work and desire to learn that helps to unlock other opportunities. I am the President and co-founder of Association Of History, Nature And Culture Tour Guides – Nigeria (AHNACTG). The membership of the tour guide association is an opportunity to promote, encourage and train tour guides to understand their profession and how to profit from it. Since 1998 I have been promoting and calling myself a cultural promoter and tour guide in Nigeria when people can’t relate or don’t really know the function of a tour guide, except the academics and those that have travelled far overland and overseas. I realized many years ago the importance of tour guiding in tourism, travel and in the development of a tourist destination. Tour guiding as a profession opens up other aspect of tourism services or professionalism. Tourism is broad and the exceptional tour guide will participate in every aspect of it that concerns the tourist satisfaction. When a tour guide provides transportation, accomodation, recommendation of attraction sites to visit, and helps in procurement of travel documents there’s the tendency for such to go into other tour operation services and make extra money. The Nigerian challenge is an opportunity to develop and discover innovation for business or self development. It will get better when government ministry of tourism provides  the enabling environment and seeks suggestions and ideas from Practitioners, i mean the real professionals.

Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State recently made a commendable visit to Badagry. What are the key takeaways from his visit, and what developments can Badagry and its surrounding areas anticipate as a result?

It was a privilege for me to tour the Executive Governor of Lagos State, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu in Badagry. It was an opportunity to express the thoughts of tourism Professionals in Badagry to the governor especially as it concerns the condition of the attractions on Gberefu Island also known as the Point Of No Return. The Governor experienced the slave route tour and “the slave spirit attenuation well” which Anago Osho calls the “well of memory loss”. The climax was the inspection of the deteriorating Monument called Point Of No Return Gallery at the Gberefu Seabeach by Badagry tour guides. The location is historically referred to as the place of the Journey to Unknown Destination. The Governor expressed his determination to concentrate on infrastructural development of the tourist sites in Badagry and complete all major projects in the division. I thanked the Governor for his ceaseless efforts in the development of the road networks to Badagry and the different communities in the Badagry division. In Badagry, we expect further infrastructural development and completion of all abandoned projects.

What destinations will interest or attract people to visit, please, mention three (3)?

The Slave Point Of No Return Badagry is  an important cultural attraction site to experience. This is the feature for Africa Diaspora tourism. The walk on the Slave route bring memories of the trans Atlantic Slave trade. The trip will be relished by also visiting the Mobee Slave Relics Museum and the Brazilian Baracoon of Seriki Williams Abass. The Baracoon is an embarkment where slaves were kept while awaitng the arrival of European Slave ships. And Relics of slaving instruments like the neck locks, wrist locks, Slave drinking Pot, etc. are kept in the Mobee Museum.

The Afro-Brazilian community as a tourist destination in Lagos have a wonderful history, Africa Diaspora returnee cultural heritage and agidigbo music to entertain tourists. The tour continues to one of the biggest markets in the world, the Balogun Market. Items and especially fabrics can be purchased here as momentos. A peep into the King Kosoko Heritage Museum in the heart of the biggest market in Nigeria.

Lekki Tourist Destination exhumes Nature and Art Heritage which takes the visitors on Epe City tour, Lekki Conservation Centre, Lekki Art and Craft Market and Lunch at Nike Art Gallery which is the biggest gallery in Africa.