EDAPI Provides Relief To 250 Flood-Displaced Households In Ondo Community, Residents Seek Federal Intervention

The Ecumenism for Development and Peace Initiative (EDAPI) has provided emergency relief materials and cash support to 250 flood-affected households in Ayetoro, a coastal community in Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State, as residents renewed calls on the Federal Government to address the persistent threat of coastal erosion.

The intervention, carried out on Monday, was aimed at assisting families displaced by severe ocean surges that have continued to devastate the historic riverine community.

EDAPI, a non-governmental organisation of the Nigerian Baptist Convention (NBC) and a member of the Action by Churches Together (ACT Alliance), distributed unconditional cash grants of ₦80,000 each to 250 food-insecure households. Beneficiaries also received non-food items (NFIs) and Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) kits to help meet their immediate needs.

In addition to the relief materials, 100 residents participated in a psychosocial support and trauma healing programme designed to help victims cope with the emotional and psychological impact of losing their homes, livelihoods and ancestral lands.

The organisation said the intervention was part of its rapid emergency response aimed at restoring hope, dignity and resilience among affected residents.

Ayetoro has been one of Nigeria’s worst-hit coastal communities, with rising sea levels, recurrent ocean surges and the environmental impact of oil exploration contributing to the destruction of the town.

Community leaders estimate that more than 2,000 residents have been displaced, while about 80 per cent of the community’s landmass has already been lost to the Atlantic Ocean.

Speaking during the distribution of the relief materials, President of the Nigerian Baptist Convention, Rev. Dr. Israel Adelani Akanji, called on government at all levels to respond urgently to the plight of the Ayetoro people.

He stressed that while humanitarian organisations could provide temporary relief, only decisive government intervention could provide a lasting solution to the environmental crisis facing the community.

Also speaking, the Director of Ecumenism and Interfaith Relations of the Nigerian Baptist Convention and Coordinating Director of EDAPI, Rev. Dr. Testimony Onifade, said the organisation was committed to supporting vulnerable residents affected by the floods but noted that the responsibility for protecting the community ultimately rests with government.

“EDAPI is here to provide relief items and support for the vulnerable, but the government has the major responsibility of saving Ayetoro,” Onifade said.

The intervention was commended by the traditional ruler of Ayetoro, the Ogeleyinbo of Ayetoro Land, Oba Oluwambe Ojagbohunmi, as well as other community leaders, who expressed appreciation for the assistance provided to affected households.

However, they maintained that humanitarian support alone would not prevent the community from disappearing beneath the ocean.

The monarch and other stakeholders renewed their appeal to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Federal Government to implement permanent shoreline protection measures to halt the advancing coastal erosion threatening the community.

They also called for a thorough investigation into previous shoreline protection contracts awarded for Ayetoro, alleging that the projects failed to deliver the expected results.

According to the community leaders, the scale of the environmental disaster is beyond the financial capacity of the Ondo State Government, making federal intervention imperative.

“We cannot continue to watch our heritage, our homes and our future slip into the ocean. We need urgent federal intervention to save Ayetoro from total extinction,” Oba Ojagbohunmi said.

The latest appeal comes amid growing concerns over the impact of climate change and coastal erosion on Nigeria’s shoreline communities, with residents warning that without immediate intervention, Ayetoro risks being completely submerged.