The Agia Tree's Tale: Bearing Witness to Nigeria's First Christian Sermon

The Agia Tree, standing tall for more than three centuries, has a story that goes beyond its height. It was the venue for a momentous event that took place on the 24th of September, 1842. Thomas Birch Freeman and Henry Townsend traveled to Nigeria to share the message of Christianity. They delivered their first sermon underneath the Agia Tree, a tree that grew to reach 49 metres high with a circumference of 9.1 metres.

The Agia Tree was located on the site now occupied by the Agiya Tree Monument near the Badagry Town Hall. It lived for over 300 years until it was uprooted by a storm on the 20th of June, 1959. What endures today is the Agiya Tree Monument, marking a pivotal step in the propagation of a growing faith.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons