COVEC TEAM TO UNDERTAKE LAND RECLAMATION AFTER INSPECTION OF ILAJE COASTAL COMMUNITIES
By Exponent News Akure 26th November,2025
Hope is rising again in the ocean-battered communities of Ilaje Local Government Area, Ondo State, following a strategic visit on Friday, 21st November, by China Overseas Engineering Group Co., Ltd (COVEC), which signaled renewed commitment toward long-awaited shoreline rescue efforts.
During the visit, the engineering firm pledged to embark on critical land reclamation and coastal protection projects—interventions residents have described as desperately overdue.
Engr. Kelvin Mazhengjun, Managing Director of COVEC, who led the delegation, assured community stakeholders that with strong political backing and adequate funding, meaningful restoration is achievable.
“We have successfully executed similar reclamation and shoreline protection projects across various regions in China, particularly in terrains that mirror the environmental and geological conditions of the Niger Delta.
“These experiences have equipped us with the requisite technical expertise to undertake a project of this magnitude. We are fully confident in the technical feasibility of restoring the devastated coastline and safeguarding the affected communities,” Mazhengjun said.
The tour was facilitated by officials of the Commission, including Executive Directors Malam Mallon Ogbaro and Dr. Olujimi Kufo, who joined the COVEC team in assessing the ravaged sites.
Responding to the development, Mr. Thompson Akingboye, Public Relations Officer of the Ayetoro community, said residents are cautiously optimistic.
“Our people are hopeful that this time will be different, especially with a governor who hails from this region. Nearly 90 percent of our town has been swallowed by the sea. Homes, churches, and ancestral structures are gone. We need urgent action,” he said.
Dr. Olujimi Kufo, OSOPADEC’s Executive Director of Projects, acknowledged the lengthy delay and multiple surveys previously conducted by federal agencies. He noted that the current administration is firmly committed to charting a permanent solution.
“Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa is resolute about ending the sea incursion. This government understands the urgency, and we are taking coordinated steps to save Ayetoro and other communities facing the same threat,” Kufo stated.
