A non-governmental organisation, Action for Preservation of Sustainable Environment Initiatives, has urged Ondo State Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, to urgently address the worsening environmental challenges threatening coastal communities in Ilaje and Ese Odo Local Government Areas.
The group, through its Executive Director, Comrade Gbolabo Ogunleye, warned that continued ocean encroachment, coastal erosion, flooding and environmental degradation could force more residents from their ancestral communities if urgent measures are not taken.
According to Ogunleye, several communities, particularly in Ilaje, have suffered extensive land loss as a result of rising sea levels, storm surges and persistent coastal erosion, with homes, streets and historical sites reportedly submerged.
He added that recurrent flooding and saltwater intrusion were also contaminating freshwater sources, destroying farmlands and adversely affecting fishing activities, which remain major sources of livelihood for residents of the coastal areas.
Ogunleye linked the worsening situation to several environmental pressures, including petroleum exploration, sand mining, canalisation and the destruction of mangrove vegetation, which he said had weakened natural barriers protecting the communities.
He noted that the loss of land was also contributing to displacement and tensions over ancestral boundaries and proposed resettlement areas, particularly as affected residents continued to search for safer places to live.
While acknowledging recent efforts to clear and desilt waterways around Igbokoda and other areas to reduce flooding, Ogunleye said such interventions should be complemented with long-term measures, including shoreline protection, sea walls, environmental remediation and coordinated climate intervention.
He appealed to Aiyedatiwa, whom he described as a son of Ilaje, to use his office to mobilise the state and Federal Governments, as well as relevant environmental agencies and international partners, to tackle the crisis before more coastal communities are lost to the sea.
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