The Ondo State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission has said that about N94bn is required to save the coastal community of Aiyetoro in Ilaje Local Government Area from extinction as persistent Atlantic Ocean incursions continue to erode the area.
The Chairman of the commission, Olabiyi Poroye, disclosed this on Friday during the 2026 World Environment Day celebration held in Aiyetoro.
Poroye called on the international community, development partners and donor agencies to support efforts aimed at addressing the growing environmental crisis confronting coastal communities in the state.
According to him, studies and geophysical surveys conducted in affected communities revealed that the scale of destruction caused by climate change, coastal erosion and rising sea levels requires resources beyond the capacity of the commission.
He said , “Studies and geophysical surveys conducted across affected communities show that the scale of destruction required huge financial resources beyond the capacity of intervention agency of the state alone.
“We are planning land reclamation for one of the communities in our mandate area and the estimated cost is about N94 billion. That amount is enormous and shows the magnitude of the challenge before us.
”Based on our estimates, it will be difficult for the commission responsible for these interventions to generate sufficient resources to address the problem alone. That is why we are calling on the international community to come to our aid and help us overcome this environmental crisis.”
Poroye said the event was organised not only to mark World Environment Day but also to draw attention to the plight of communities devastated by environmental challenges.
He appealed for support towards land reclamation projects and measures to protect vulnerable communities from further destruction.
Speaking at the event, Ondo State Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, represented by the Commissioner for Environment, Tob Loko, said the government deliberately chose Aiyetoro for the celebration because of the severe ecological challenges facing the community.
Loko said the state government remained concerned about the impact of sea incursion on residents and would continue to collaborate with OSOPADEC and other stakeholders to find lasting solutions.
He stressed the need for synergy among relevant agencies, adding that the present administration was committed to improving the living conditions of affected residents.
”If previous governments had been more proactive in addressing sea incursion, the situation might not have become this severe. However, the current Ondo State Government is concerned,” he said.
The traditional ruler of Aiyetoro, Oba Oluwambe Ojagbohunmi, lamented that more than 80 per cent of the community’s landmass, homes and public infrastructure had been lost to the sea over the past two decades.
The monarch described the situation as devastating, saying families had been repeatedly displaced while schools and other public facilities had either been destroyed or relocated.
He called for urgent shoreline protection measures, sea embankments and land reclamation projects, warning that the community’s history and cultural heritage should not be allowed to disappear beneath the sea.
Aiyetoro has battled ocean surge and coastal erosion for years, with residents repeatedly calling for urgent intervention to prevent the community from being completely submerged.
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