Dredging of deepwater ports along the Bight of Benin cited as main reason for surges sweeping away Nigeria coastal community

One morning in June, an ocean surge swept through the village of Apakin, one of Lagos' last indigenous coastal communities, washing away fishing boats, nets and graves. It was only the latest event in the settlement of roughly 3,000 people that is losing homes and livelihoods.

Despite pledges of support from Commonwealth leaders, worsening ocean surges have left the centuries-old community feeling powerless, with residents fearing their ancestral land could soon be lost to the sea, according to local chief Abimbola Iyowun.

"We only have two graves left from my father's lineage. "We've been trying to move them, but we haven't found the place to move them to," Iyowun said, pointing into the ocean where his house and that of his father once stood.

About 80 per cent of the Lagos shoreline has been washed away in the past five decades, according to a 2022 report in the Journal of African Earth Sciences. The study blamed deepwater ports along the Bight of Benin as the main reason for erosion.

Lagos has more than a dozen coastal communities battling ocean surges, but Apakin's residents say they're among the worst hit. On land once known for coconut farming, a final 50-metre stretch of trees vanished four years ago.

Iyowun said the building he used as a palace when he was appointed the village head three years ago had also gone.

Despite all evidence to the contrary, Lagos State says rising seas pose the biggest long-term climate threat. Environmental activist Philip Jakpor argues that government-backed projects like the massive Dangote oil refinery and deep sea ports are behind damage to coastal communities.

"A lot of dredging is happening, which is pushing water in the direction of communities, swallowing communities," said Jakpor.

Meanwhile Nigerian activist Akinbode Oluwafemi pointed out that the 'Living Lands Charter' adopted by leaders at the 2022 Commonwealth summit in Kigali, Rwanda, was non-binding, unenforced and failing to deliver a concrete plan to protect coastal communities.

(Reporting by Ben Ezeamalu; editing by Sophie Walker)