As commission estimates N94bn to reclaim a single coastal community 


The Ondo State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (OSOPADEC) has called for urgent international intervention to tackle the worsening impact of sea incursion and climate change threatening Ayetoro and other coastal communities in Ondo State, warning that the scale of destruction has gone beyond the capacity of local intervention.

The appeal was made during the commemoration of World Environment Day held in Ayetoro, a coastal community in Ilaje Local Government Area that has, over the years, suffered severe land loss, displacement of residents, and destruction of critical infrastructure as the Atlantic Ocean continues to advance inland.

Speaking at the event, the Chairman of OSOPADEC, Olabiyi Poroye, said the commission deliberately chose the community for the global environmental celebration in order to draw attention to the plight of vulnerable coastal settlements and to appeal for support from the international community.

According to him, the environmental challenges confronting the area are not beyond solution, but require urgent global collaboration, technical expertise and financial intervention.

He said the commission was also using the occasion to showcase the region as an investment destination for development partners willing to support land reclamation, tourism and infrastructure projects.

Poroye added that plans were underway for an international climate change conference scheduled for October, noting that the World Environment Day event formed part of preparatory activities aimed at strengthening global engagement on coastal protection.

He further disclosed that extensive baseline studies and geophysical surveys conducted across affected communities had revealed the enormous cost required to reclaim land already lost to the sea.

According to him, the estimated cost of reclaiming just one coastal community stands at about N94 billion, describing the figure as a clear indication of the magnitude of the crisis facing the state.

He noted that years of environmental neglect, coupled with the increasing impact of climate change, had worsened the situation beyond what local intervention agencies alone could manage.

While acknowledging the role of statutory funding mechanisms such as derivation funds and intervention agencies, Poroye stressed that the financial burden far outweighs available resources, hence the need for international support.

Also speaking at the event, the Ondo State Commissioner for Environment, Dr. Tob Loko, who represented Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, said the state government remains committed to addressing the environmental challenges affecting coastal communities.

He explained that Ayetoro was chosen as the venue for the celebration due to its high vulnerability to sea incursion and other ecological threats, adding that the government is working in collaboration with relevant agencies to develop sustainable solutions.

The commissioner emphasized the importance of synergy among government institutions, development partners and host communities in finding lasting solutions to the crisis.

He said the administration was focused on the future rather than dwelling on past shortcomings, adding that efforts were ongoing to ensure residents of affected communities live in safer and more stable environments.

The traditional ruler of Ayetoro Kingdom, Oba Oluwambe Ojagbohunmi, described the impact of sea incursion on the community as devastating, revealing that over 80 percent of the town’s landmass, buildings and infrastructure have been lost to the advancing ocean over the past two decades.

He said schools had been destroyed and relocated, while many families had been repeatedly displaced as the sea continues to swallow homes and farmlands.

According to the monarch, the crisis has also taken a toll on the health of residents, particularly children, women and the elderly, with increasing cases of stress-related and respiratory illnesses.

Oba Ojagbohunmi said the solution to the problem lies in shoreline protection measures such as construction of embankments using boulders or sheet piling, followed by systematic land reclamation through sand filling.

He explained that Ayetoro had already lost about two kilometres of land to the ocean, warning that without urgent intervention, the community risks total erosion of its cultural and historical identity.

The monarch, however, said the people remain resilient due to their strong historical and spiritual foundation, describing Ayetoro as a community founded as a refuge for those who opposed harmful cultural practices in the past.

He appealed to government authorities, international organisations and private investors not to allow the community’s heritage to be wiped away by environmental disasters.

He called for urgent action to save the town, stressing that only immediate shoreline protection and land reclamation projects could prevent further destruction.

Residents at the event expressed hope that renewed global attention generated by the World Environment Day celebration would translate into concrete intervention to protect vulnerable coastal communities across Ondo State.