Residents of Onya community in Ndokwa East Local Government Area of Delta State have appealed to the Federal and state governments to urgently intervene as severe erosion along the River Niger continues to destroy homes, farmland and other properties.
The community, which has lived along the River Niger for generations, says the river is gradually consuming large portions of its land and threatening its existence.
The chairman of the community, Owola Ndozi, said the situation had become increasingly devastating, revealing that part of his grandmother’s house had already collapsed into the river.
Residents said the problem, which began as a gradual environmental challenge more than two decades ago, has worsened over the years. They attributed the erosion partly to annual flooding, which weakens the riverbanks and causes sections of land to collapse as floodwaters recede.
The community also raised concerns about the impact of oil barges operating along the River Niger. Ike Onyenokwe, President General of the Ndoshimili Development Union, said barges transporting crude oil from areas including Okrigbome, Aboh and Okpai frequently pass close to the shoreline at high speed.
He alleged that as many as 20 barges sometimes pass the community in a single day, generating waves that further erode the riverbank.
Onyenokwe said the community had repeatedly complained to relevant oil companies but had yet to see meaningful intervention. He also expressed concern that residents who attempt to approach the barges are sometimes prevented from doing so by armed security personnel accompanying the vessels.
Beyond the erosion, residents said the community faces serious infrastructure challenges. According to Ndozi, residents spend between N15,000 and N20,000 to reach a motorable road and connect to Asaba-Ase.
He said the community also lacked reliable access to potable water and electricity, adding that the erosion was increasingly isolating Onya from neighbouring communities and the rest of the state.
Women leader of the community, Janet Omuta, said several houses had already been destroyed and appealed to the government to act before the community was completely lost.
Community leaders are calling for the construction of professionally engineered shore protection to halt the erosion. They said such a project was beyond the financial capacity of the community and required the intervention of the Federal Government, Delta State Government, Niger Delta Development Commission, Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission, National Emergency Management Agency and oil companies operating in the region.
“This is not a problem our community can solve on its own,” Onyenokwe said, stressing the need for urgent action to protect the remaining land and residents.
With the river continuing to eat into the shoreline, residents fear that more homes, farmland and ancestral sites could disappear unless comprehensive erosion-control measures are implemented.
The community is therefore urging the authorities and other stakeholders to treat the situation as an environmental emergency and provide a lasting solution before Onya faces further displacement.
