By Abbas Nazil
An ocean surge in June swept through Apakin, one of Lagos’ last indigenous coastal communities, destroying homes, fishing boats, nets and even family graves, as rising seas and worsening coastal erosion continue to threaten Nigeria’s environment.
The village of about 3,000 people is losing land and livelihoods to the Atlantic, with residents fearing their ancestral territory could soon be gone.
Local chief Abimbola Iyowun said his family graves and palace had already been consumed by the ocean, leaving behind just two graves that are now at risk of being lost.
The story of Apakin is not isolated but part of a larger environmental disaster affecting Nigeria’s coastal ecosystems.
According to a 2022 study in the Journal of African Earth Sciences, nearly 80% of Lagos’ shoreline has been lost in the last fifty years, with deepwater port construction along the Bight of Benin identified as a major driver of erosion.
What was once land known for coconut farming has been stripped bare, with the last protective stretch of trees vanishing four years ago, worsening the community’s vulnerability to surging tides.
Environmentalists argue that the problem is not only climate change but also human activities that aggravate nature’s balance.
Philip Jakpor, a prominent environmental advocate, said dredging linked to large-scale government-backed projects such as the Dangote oil refinery and deep-sea ports has intensified erosion, pushing water directly toward coastal villages.
He warned that unless unchecked, these activities will continue swallowing communities one after another, accelerating environmental degradation and displacing people.
Climate activists say the situation also exposes failures in international climate governance.
Nigerian campaigner Akinbode Oluwafemi criticized the Commonwealth’s “Living Lands Charter” adopted in Kigali in 2022, describing it as non-binding and ineffective in addressing threats to vulnerable ecosystems.
He said the declaration fell short of holding corporations accountable for activities worsening climate change and coastal destruction, leaving communities like Apakin without real protection.
Lagos State officials admit that rising seas are the greatest long-term climate threat to the region.
However, critics say environmental policies remain weak, with development projects prioritized over ecosystem protection, further undermining natural coastal defenses.
The loss of shoreline does not only displace communities but also devastates biodiversity, erodes fertile land, and disrupts fragile marine ecosystems that once sustained fishing and farming.
The Apakin crisis highlights the urgency of taking stronger environmental action.
Without strict regulation of dredging, restoration of coastal vegetation, and international accountability for destructive projects, Nigeria risks losing both its natural barriers and its cultural heritage to the advancing sea.
For communities living at the water’s edge, protecting the environment is no longer a choice but a matter of survival.
