Ondo State Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, has unveiled plans to reclaim land for riverine communities across the state’s coastal areas, saying the initiative is part of efforts to improve living conditions and tackle the unique environmental challenges confronting residents.
The governor disclosed this on Friday at Obe-Nla in Ilaje Local Government Area while commissioning a one-kilometre concrete walkway constructed by the Ondo State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (OSOPADEC), a project officials say can last for more than 100 years.
He also flagged off the construction of a three-kilometre jetty walkway and commissioned a potable water scheme for the community.
Aiyedatiwa noted that for decades, residents of many riverine communities depended on fragile wooden walkways built across swampy terrain, exposing them to accidents, injuries and mobility challenges.
According to him, the construction of concrete walkways is a direct response to the most pressing needs of the people.
“It is the general need of our people; this is what they needed for now. As a responsive government, we could not afford to be indifferent. Today’s commissioning is therefore a practical response to genuine needs,” the governor said.
Describing the newly completed walkway as a “corridor of hope and pathway to dignity,” Aiyedatiwa said the project would enhance safety, improve movement within communities and boost economic activities in the coastal areas.
The governor assured residents that the intervention would go beyond the provision of walkways, revealing plans by his administration to embark on land reclamation projects aimed at creating more habitable land for riverine communities.
“We are going to give land to our people through reclamation in the days ahead. This will not be the end,” he declared.
On the recurring challenge of coastal erosion and sea incursion threatening Ayetoro and other shoreline settlements, Aiyedatiwa said the state government would continue to collaborate with the Federal Government, international development partners and private organisations to find lasting solutions.
In his address, OSOPADEC Chairman, Biyi Poroye, described the projects as investments that would transform the socio-economic fortunes of riverine communities.
He said the commissioning of the Obe-Nla concrete walkway demonstrated that government can deliver meaningful development when leadership is driven by compassion and commitment.
“This is more than the inauguration of a completed project; it is the celebration of a promise fulfilled. A testament to the fact that government works best when leadership is guided by compassion and driven by commitment,” Poroye stated.
Expressing concern over the worsening effects of climate change on coastal communities, Poroye noted that Ayetoro, Awoye, Abereke, Mese, Idi-Ogba and Gbagira continue to suffer severe threats from ocean surge and coastal erosion.
To attract global support, he disclosed that OSOPADEC would participate in the 2026 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP31) in Antalya, Türkiye, where the commission would showcase the realities of Ondo’s coastal communities and seek partnerships for climate resilience and sustainable development.
Speaking on the durability of the newly commissioned project, the Project Manager of the Technical Unit handling the construction, Engineer Ajayi Abidemi, said the one-kilometre concrete walkway was built to last for over a century.
“With the quality that is being done on this project, this project can last more than 100 years because we followed the specification of the concrete walkway and it is piled to a depth of not less than 20 metres using casing piles,” he explained.
Also speaking, a resident of Obe-Nla community, Aladetan Adegbayi, described the project as the first of its kind in the area and a landmark achievement for the governor.
He recalled that movement within the community was previously difficult and risky due to the wooden walkways, leading to frequent injuries.