One morning in June, an ocean surge swept through the village of Apakin, one of Nigerias last indigenous coastal communities, washing away fishing boats, nets and graves. It was only the latest event in the settlement of roughly 3000 people that is losing homes and livelihoods to rising seas.
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 fathers lineage. Weve been trying to move them, but we havent found the place to move them to, Iyowun said, pointing into the ocean where his house and that of his father once stood.
