IBADAN — Relief came for residents of Ayetoro in Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State on Monday as a non-governmental organisation, Ecumenism for Development and Peace Initiative (EDAPI), distributed emergency support to flood-displaced households.
The intervention saw 250 vulnerable households receive unconditional cash transfers of ₦80,000 each, alongside non-food items and Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) kits to cushion the impact of devastating ocean surges that have displaced thousands.
EDAPI, an initiative of the Nigerian Baptist Convention (NBC) and member of the Action by Churches Together (ACT Alliance), also provided psychosocial support, with 100 affected residents participating in trauma healing sessions.
Ayetoro, a historic coastal community, has suffered repeated ocean surges linked to rising sea levels and environmental degradation, with over 2,000 residents displaced and about 80 per cent of its landmass reportedly lost to the Atlantic Ocean.
Speaking at the event, President of the Nigerian Baptist Convention, Rev. Dr. Israel Adelani Akanji, urged the Federal Government to urgently intervene.
“The government must rise to answer the cry of the people of Ayetoro. This community deserves urgent and sustainable intervention to prevent further devastation,” he said.
Also speaking, EDAPI Coordinating Director, Rev. Dr. Testimony Onifade, said the organisation’s intervention was focused on immediate relief but stressed that lasting solutions lie with government action.
“EDAPI is here to provide relief materials and support for vulnerable people affected by the floods, but the government has the primary responsibility of ensuring the long-term survival of Ayetoro,” he stated.
Traditional ruler of Ayetoro, Oba Oluwambe Ojagbohunmi, the Ogeleyinbo of Ayetoro Land, commended the intervention but warned that the community faces an existential threat.
“We cannot continue to watch our heritage, our homes and our future disappear into the ocean. We need urgent Federal Government intervention to save Ayetoro from total extinction,” the monarch said.
Community leaders also called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to implement permanent shoreline protection measures and investigate past intervention projects, alleging that corruption undermined previous efforts.
They maintained that the scale of destruction has exceeded the capacity of the Ondo State Government, stressing that only decisive federal action can prevent the total collapse of the coastal settlement.
