Ayetoro Community Faces Devastating Coastal Erosion

Ayetoro, a fishing community in southern Nigeria, is experiencing severe coastal erosion, with the Atlantic Ocean encroaching and swallowing homes. Founded in 1947 by a group of communist-inspired Christians, Ayetoro is home to approximately 10,000 people.

Coastal erosion has intensified since the early 2000s, with an average coastline retreat of 15 meters (50 feet) annually between 1987 and 2022, as reported by spatial planning specialist Barnabas Ogirima James. The journal Scientific Reports estimated that sea-level rise along West Africa's Gulf of Guinea is about 3.9 millimeters per year, exceeding the global average.

Traditional king Oluwambe Ojagbohunmi noted the drastic changes, stating that his palace has significantly diminished, with only about a dozen rooms remaining. Fisherman Thompson Akingboye described the plight of families who have relocated multiple times due to the ocean's destruction, highlighting the community's struggle against climate change and urbanization pressures.