ARTICLE AD BOX
AYETORO, Nigeria, Jan 02 (IPS) - Ayetoro, a Nigerian town once known for its vibrant economy and cultural significance, now stands as a stark reminder of the destruction wrought by climate change. Key landmarks such as the market, football pitch, community library, a technical workshop and the community’s first church have been submerged or destroyed by the sea. Even the monarch’s palace, a symbol of the town’s rich cultural heritage, is now surrounded by swampy water.In 2021, Ojajuni Olufunsho, a 53-year-old resident of Ayetoro, a town along the Atlantic coast, southwestern Nigeria, saw her home swept away by the encroaching sea. What was once a spacious 10-room house, a sanctuary for Olufunsho and her five children, was swallowed by the relentless force of rising sea waters.