Hope returned to the flood-ravaged coastal community of Ayetoro in Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State on Monday July 13, 2026, as the Ecumenism for Development and Peace Initiative, EDAPI, delivered emergency relief to residents displaced by severe ocean surges.
The intervention by EDAPI, an NGO of the Nigerian Baptist Convention ( NBC) and member of the Action by Churches Together (ACT Alliance), included ₦80,000 unconditional cash transfers to 250 food-insecure households along with Non-Food Items, (NFIs) and Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) kits to help them meet basic needs
In addition,100 people benefited from a Psychosocial Support and Trauma Healing Programme designed to help residents cope with the emotional impact of losing their homes and ancestral lands.
EDAPI’s rapid response which focused on immediate survival and trauma recovery is also aimed at restoring dignity and survival to a community now fighting for extinction.
Over 2,000 residents have been displaced in the historic coastal town by rising sea levels and the impact of oil exploration and an estimated 80% of Ayetoro’s landmass has already been swallowed by the Atlantic Ocean.
Speaking at the flag-off, Rev. Dr. Israel Adelani Akanji said the government must rise to answer the cry of Ayetoro people.
Also speaking, Rev. Dr.Testimony Onifade, Director of Ecumenism and Interfaith Relations of the Nigerian Baptist Convention and Coordinating Director of EDAPI, said the organization was in Ayetoro to support the vulnerable population affected by floods.
“EDAPI is here to provide relief items and support for the vulnerable, but the government has the major responsibility of saving Ayetoro,” he stated.
The gesture was appreciated by the traditional ruler of Ayetoro, Oba Oluwambe Ojagbohunmi, the Ogeleyinbo of Ayetoro Land, and other community leaders who spoke during different categories of the intervention.
Despite the relief, community leaders emphasized that humanitarian aid is only a temporary measure for a terminal crisis.
Oba Ojagbohunmi, alongside other stakeholders made a desperate “Save Our Souls” appeal to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Federal government to take immediate responsibility for the community’s long-term survival, noting that saving Ayetoro is far beyond the financial capacity of the Ondo State Government.
The core of their demand is for permanent shoreline protection to halt coastal erosion, and a thorough investigation into past corruption surrounding previous shoreline protection contracts awarded for Ayetoro.
“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,” the monarch said.
