Market News
Coastal surges sweep away Nigeria coastal community as Commonwealth promise stalls - REUTERS
By Ben Ezeamalu
Summary
- Lagos warns rising seas pose significant climate threat to coastal areas
- Environmentalists blame government projects for worsening coastal erosion in Lagos
- Commonwealth's 'Living Lands Charter' criticised for lacking enforcement mechanisms
LAGOS, NIGERIA, Aug 27 (Reuters) - 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 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.
