Truck drivers and owners under the Ikorodu-Ketu Truck Owners and Drivers Association staged a protest on Monday in Ikorodu, Lagos State, over what they described as an arbitrary and unsustainable increase in the price of sharp sand.
According to the protesters, the Dredgers Association recently raised the price of a 30-ton shipment from ₦126,000 to ₦178,500—an increment of over ₦52,000. They say this is the third increase in just two months, and it’s already driving customers away.
“We are protesting the Dredgers Association’s indiscriminate price hike,” said Mr. Sikiru Aderoju, Chairman of the truck owners association. “Just two months ago, we settled on ₦126,000 after a previous increase. Now they’ve added ₦52,000. Our customers can no longer afford this; they’ve stopped patronising us entirely.”
Mr. Oluwaseun Adelaja, another truck owner, echoed the concern, suggesting the frequent hikes are part of a coordinated effort to push independent truckers out of the market.
“As of July 2024, 30 tons cost ₦85,000. It rose to ₦110,000 in November, then ₦126,000 in January. We accepted those changes due to inflation and higher diesel and maintenance costs. But this latest jump to ₦178,500, effective from April 14, is simply too much,” he said.
He also accused the dredgers of implementing pricing and rotation systems that favour their own trucks, limiting access for independent operators.
Mr. Sodiq Owolabi, a truck driver, claimed he was assaulted during a previous protest. “I was trying to protect my boss when thugs and security men working with the dredgers attacked me. They dragged me to their barracks and beat me,” he alleged.
The protesting drivers are now calling on the Lagos State Government to intervene and compel the Dredgers Association to adopt a more transparent and fair pricing model.
In response, Mr. Tunde Adigun, Chairman of the Dredgers Association in Ikorodu, said the hikes are driven by harsh economic realities.
“Truck drivers are our customers too. I own trucks. The last one I bought cost ₦39 million; now it’s ₦100 million. Operational costs have skyrocketed. We used to pump sand from 100–200 meters offshore. Now it’s up to four kilometers—that’s a huge increase in cost,” he said.
Mr. Adigun also emphasized that price reviews are not unilateral. “Before any increment, we meet with the tipper associations and explain our challenges. We never impose prices without dialogue.”
He added that several dredging sites have already shut down due to declining profitability, with some international partners, including Chinese firms, pulling out entirely.
