Ayetoro, Nigeria's "Happy Place," faces existential threat from Atlantic coastal erosion

Founded in 1947 by communist-inspired Christians, the community, once known as "The Happy Place," sees its land shrink annually, with homes constantly being rebuilt further inland only to be claimed by the sea again. Between 1987 and 2022, Ayetoro's coastline receded by an average of 15 meters per year. The current rate of sea-level rise along West Africa's Gulf of Guinea is estimated at 3.9 millimeters per year, exceeding the global average.

The traditional king of Ayetoro, Oluwambe Ojagbohunmi, notes that his palace, which once had 100 rooms, now has only about a dozen remaining. Residents, like fisherman Thompson Akingboye, describe feeling like "refugees in my own community" after losing their homes. The erosion has also severely impacted social services; the sole health center was lost to the waves, and schools have been repeatedly relocated, affecting students' concentration.

Healthcare worker Omomiye Oluwaseun reports that residents suffer from high blood pressure and water-borne diseases due to contaminated water supplies. Experts like Oluwasegun Babatunde Esan, a landscape architecture researcher, attribute part of the problem to unregulated urban development in floodplains and coastal areas, suggesting stricter regulation and the development of natural barriers like mangroves a