Abstract: Available data shows that petroleum which stand out as the mainstay of the Nigerian economy has unimaginably impacted on the growth, development, civilisation and sustainability of the Nigeria’s spatial development than any other natural resources recorded in the past decades. However, the impacts recorded over the decades do not translate to sustainable land utilisations, management and development in the coastal areas of Nigeria, where oil exploitation processes have resulted into intense environmental degradation, ecological devastation and the diverse physical planning distortion in Ilaje Local government area. The paper adopted direct observation, questionnaire administration and oral interview respectively in the quest to obtain the needed data. The paper identified distortions in land uses, land degradation, increased poverty and difficulty in land use planning. The paper therefore as a result of the effects of oil exploitation, advocated for land appropriation in the coastal area, use of bioremediation approach, and empowering interviewing organisation towards revamping the deplorable ecological landscape of the area.