The Personal Assistant to the Ogeloyinbo of Ayetoro and General Coordinator of the Coalition of Ilaje Ravaged Communities, Thomson Akingboye, has said repeated oil spills have weakened the natural protection of coastal communities in Ilaje, Ondo State, leaving them increasingly exposed to ocean surge and displacement.
Akingboye made the statement during a visit by representatives of the affected communities to the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency, NOSDRA, where they submitted a position paper and petition demanding investigation, cleanup, compensation and urgent shoreline protection.
He said the communities had historically survived ocean surge through three natural defence systems: dense mangrove forests that served as natural seawalls and anchored sediment, compacted organic mud and sand that provided stable foundations, and viable fishing activities that gave residents income to rebuild their homes and livelihoods.
According to him, repeated oil spills have damaged the three systems and increased the vulnerability of the communities to ocean surge.
“Our position now is extinction, not ordinary erosion,” Akingboye said.
He claimed that about 80 houses were lost to ocean surge across the coastline between 2015 and 2018, while more than 500 houses and over 50 kilometres of coastline were lost between 2019 and 2025 across the 23 communities represented by the coalition.
He said schools, health centres, fishing camps, family compounds and ancestral homes had also been destroyed, while some settlements that were previously located far from the Atlantic Ocean were now exposed to the sea.
Akingboye said the destruction could not be attributed to natural erosion alone, arguing that oil pollution had contributed to the weakening of the coastal environment.
He listed several oil spills and incidents involving different oil companies over the years, including incidents attributed to Chevron Nigeria Limited, Shell Petroleum Development Company, Conoil Producing Limited, Mobil, Guarantee Petroleum Company Limited and other operators.
He specifically cited the Abereke oil spill and leaks around the Belekama operational platform, as well as the 2022 Trinity Spirit FPSO explosion, among incidents he said had affected the coastal environment.
According to him, oil-coated mangrove roots have affected the ability of the vegetation to survive, while hydrocarbon contamination has weakened the soil and increased the rate at which parts of the coastline collapse.
He also said oil pollution had affected fishing activities by damaging fishing nets, boats, engines and ponds, while contaminated water sources had further affected residents.
“When oil destroys the mangroves, the soil becomes loose and cohesionless. When the fishing economy is destroyed, families lose the income required to adapt, rebuild or relocate,” he said.
Akingboye said the communities were not claiming that ocean surge was caused by oil spills but were concerned that pollution had reduced the natural resilience that previously helped them withstand its effects.
“The ocean has not doubled in force; our communities have been rendered twice as vulnerable,” he said.
He said the consequences had extended beyond the loss of houses to education, healthcare, livelihoods, water supply and cultural heritage.
He listed the destruction of schools, health centres, burial grounds, churches, farmlands, fishing equipment, livestock and mangrove forests among the losses suffered by the communities.
The coalition consequently petitioned NOSDRA under the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency Act 2006, requesting the agency to investigate the affected communities and take steps towards remediation.
Among its demands, the coalition requested disclosure of information relating to oil-spill investigations and affected Ondo communities, including Joint Investigation Visit reports and sanctions relating to some of the incidents it cited.
It also requested cleanup and remediation notices for responsible parties, Joint Investigation Visits to some affected locations, comprehensive assessments of direct and consequential damage, and compensation for verified affected communities.
The coalition further called for interim relief, including potable water, fishing inputs and emergency building materials for the affected communities pending compensation.
It also requested urgent shoreline protection in Ayetoro and other Ilaje coastal communities facing severe erosion, asking NOSDRA to recommend intervention by the Federal Ministry of Environment, the Niger Delta Development Commission and the Ondo State Government.
Akingboye warned that the communities could face further displacement if urgent action was not taken.
He requested a 90-day action plan from NOSDRA and said the coalition was ready to provide access to the affected communities for verification.
He also warned that the coalition would invoke the Freedom of Information Act if requested information was not disclosed within seven days and could seek a court order of mandamus if the agency failed to act within the stated period.
The coalition further said it would mobilise residents for a peaceful protest at NOSDRA’s headquarters in Abuja if its demands were not addressed.
Responding, the Director-General of NOSDRA, Engr. Chukwuemeka Woke, said the agency would visit the affected communities to ascertain the level of damage and take the necessary action.
Woke’s response followed the presentation of the petition and position paper by representatives of the Ilaje coastal communities.
The coalition said the petition was signed by its Chairman, Comrade Akingboye Thompson; Secretary, Prince Awoyemi; and Public Relations Officer, Hon. Ayoyo Olamide.
