By Abbas Nazil
The traditional ruler of Ayetoro community in Ondo State has urged coastal settlements across the Niger Delta to unite in confronting the worsening impacts of ocean encroachment, warning that rising sea levels pose a grave threat to their cultural identity, livelihoods and long-term survival.
Oba Oluwambe Ojagbohunmi, the Ogeloyinbo of Ayetoro, made this appeal during the Coastal Communities Exchanges organised by the Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF) in Yenagoa, an event that brought together coastal residents from Cross River, Akwa Ibom, Rivers, Bayelsa, Delta, Edo and Ondo states.
He said Ayetoro, a historic and spiritual homeland for his people, has experienced alarming rates of land loss for more than 25 years, reversing a long-standing natural pattern in which tidal currents deposited more sand than they washed away.
The monarch explained that the community, despite severe encroachment from the Atlantic Ocean, has chosen to remain on its ancestral land because their culture, identity and heritage are deeply rooted in Ayetoro’s coastal environment.
He said leaving the land would mean losing the essence of who they are as a people.
Oba Ojagbohunmi described the ocean as a “living entity” with its own self-cleansing system that returns debris and foreign materials disposed into rivers by inland communities, often depositing them at coastal settlements already struggling with erosion and flooding.
He emphasised that only strong regional solidarity could help coastal communities collectively confront the accelerating threats from sea-level rise, coastal erosion and the loss of farmlands, homes and sacred spaces.
The king also urged residents to adopt adaptive livelihood strategies, noting how he personally shifted to rearing fish species capable of surviving in water bodies now infiltrated by saltwater due to the ocean’s advance.
He expressed regret that repeated warnings raised more than two decades ago to both the Ondo State Government and the Federal Government had not resulted in meaningful action, leaving Ayetoro to battle the devastation alone.
Earlier, Mr Stanley Egholo, Fossil Politics Lead at HOMEF, reaffirmed the organisation’s commitment to supporting communities affected by climate-related disasters and helping them build resilience against environmental threats.
He said HOMEF will continue to amplify community voices and work with stakeholders to promote policies that protect vulnerable coastal regions.
Mr Umo Isua-Ikoh, Coordinator of the Peace Point Development Foundation, urged coastal residents to utilise civil society platforms that translate community concerns into global advocacy capable of attracting international attention and support.
He encouraged community members to adopt the strategic use of social media to highlight their experiences and document the destruction occurring along the coastline.
Obonganwan Elizabeth Eyo, Village Head of Esierebom in Calabar South Local Government Area, shared her experience of fighting indiscriminate tree cutting in her community, noting that overreliance on forest resources worsened exposure to erosion and flooding.
She said support from her paramount ruler and environmental groups helped persuade residents to embrace mangrove planting, a practice that has restored sections of the Nsidung Beach and become a model for neighbouring communities.
The occasion renewed calls for unity, grassroots environmental action and stronger engagement between communities, civil society organisations and policymakers as coastal dwellers continue battling the intensifying impacts of climate change across the Niger Delta.
