Truck drivers in Lagos took to the streets on Tuesday, protesting the unrelenting increase in the price of sharp sand by the Dredgers Association in Ikorodu.
EpeInsights reports that the Ikorodu-Ketu Truck Owners and Drivers Association said the price of a 30-ton load of sand has jumped from ₦126,000 to ₦178,500 in just two months, sparking concern, frustration and fears of losing customers.
The protest, which began at their operational base in Ikorodu, featured drivers chanting and carrying placards that read: “No More Price Increment” and “Sharp Sand from N126,000 to N180,000.
“We’re protesting the Dredgers Association’s indiscriminate price hikes,” said Sikiru Aderoju, chairman of the truckers’ association.
“We just adjusted to a new price in January, and now there’s another increase of over ₦50,000. Our customers can’t keep up—it’s too expensive.”
Fellow trucker, Oluwaseun Adelaja echoed the sentiment, noting that the sand price has nearly doubled since mid-2024.
“We went on strike in January, but nothing changed. Now they’ve raised the price again. It’s as if they want to drive us out of business,” he said.
Chairman of the Dredgers Association, Tunde Adigun, responded to the outcry by pointing to broader economic challenges. “We’re not increasing prices arbitrarily,” he said.
“The cost of operations has skyrocketed. We used to dredge just 100 meters from shore—now we go as far as four kilometers. That means more fuel, more wear and tear, more everything.”
He added that meetings were held with truckers’ representatives before every price change. However, internal disputes within the truckers’ associations have made negotiations complicated.
“Some members are saying they don’t trust their leaders and want separate meetings. That’s not how we operate,” he said.
Adigun also defended the dredgers’ decision to invest in their own trucks. “Some of us had to buy trucks because drivers stopped coming to our sites. We’re just trying to survive like everyone else.”
The protest reportedly saw a brief scuffle, with some accusing naval officers of using force against drivers. Adigun clarified that the officers were present for security purposes and only stepped in to manage tensions between community members and truckers.
With rising fuel costs, inflation, and maintenance expenses hitting every part of the construction supply chain, the sharp sand price hike is just one symptom of a larger economic malaise. As both truckers and dredgers struggle to stay afloat, end users—builders, developers, and everyday customers—are left to bear the brunt.
The question now is whether any middle ground can be found before more businesses shut their doors or strike again.
