By Abdullahi Lukman
The Okun-Alfa Community in Eti-Osa Local Government Area of Lagos State has issued an urgent plea to the federal and state governments to intervene and halt the ongoing ocean surge that threatens to submerge more than 70 percent of the community’s land.
Adekunle Elegushi, Chairman of the Community Development Association (CDA), spoke on Friday, May 30, 2025, revealing the alarming extent of the damage caused by the surge.
According to him, the community, which has existed for decades, is steadily losing its landmass to the encroaching Atlantic Ocean, with many residents displaced and forced to live in makeshift homes after losing their buildings to flooding.
“This community has been in existence for many years. Our land is gradually being submerged. In 2009, the former governor of Lagos, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, initiated a project to address this problem and stop the surge.
But the project was not completed and lacked continuity, which is why more land has been washed away by the ocean,” Elegushi lamented.
He explained that the government had earlier set a 200-meter setback zone from the coastline to protect the community, but with more than 1,000 meters of land already submerged, reclaiming the lost land is crucial to enforcing this measure effectively.
“We urgently need help to reclaim our land so that the 200 meters the government has designated as a step-back can be maintained or even increased to protect us from future surges,” he added.
Elegushi also described the dire living conditions of many residents, noting that a significant number now reside in emergency plank houses because their homes have been destroyed by the flooding.
“Many people here live in emergency homes because their buildings have been submerged.
They do not have the financial means to buy new land and rebuild. They are struggling to survive and find shelter,” he said.
Despite these challenges, the community is making efforts to rebuild, with new modern houses being constructed to align with the ongoing Lagos-Calabar coastal road project, which is expected to improve infrastructure in the area.
The community leader appealed to the government to allocate some of the ecological and environmental funds toward rescuing the residents and restoring the area.
He suggested that similar revitalization efforts like the Atlantic City project could serve as a model for rescuing Okun-Alfa.
“We appeal to President Bola Tinubu to come to our rescue.
We also appreciate Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s support, but this problem exceeds what the state government can handle alone.
It requires federal government intervention,” Elegushi said.
He emphasized that Okun-Alfa is a historically recognized community, clearly marked on both federal and state maps, and should not be mistaken for an illegal settlement.
“This community has been in existence for many decades. If you check official maps, you will see that we are a legitimate community,” he stressed.
The Okun-Alfa community’s plea highlights the increasing vulnerability of coastal settlements in Lagos to climate change-induced ocean surges and the urgent need for coordinated government action to protect residents and preserve their land.