Truck drivers and owners affiliated with the Ikorodu-Ketu Truck Owners and Drivers Association in Lagos State staged a protest on Monday at their operational base in Ikorodu.
The demonstration was sparked by the Dredgers Association's recent surge in sharp sand prices, which saw a 30-ton shipment increase from N126,000 to N178,500.
Association Chairman, Mr Sikiru Aderoju, cited the unsustainable nature of this hike, particularly given that prices had already been raised twice in the past two months, severely impacting drivers' profit margins.
“We are protesting the Dredgers Association’s indiscriminate increase in the price of sharp sand. Just two months ago, we agreed to a new price of N126,000 after an earlier increment. Now, they have added N52,000, bringing the price to N178,000. Our customers can no longer afford it, and they’ve stopped patronising us,”; Aderoju said.
Another truck owner, Mr Oluwaseun Adelaja alleged that the constant price hikes appeared to be a deliberate attempt to push independent truck drivers out of the market.
“As of July 2024, 30 tons of sharp sand cost N85,000. It rose to N110,000 in November and then N126,000 in January 2025.
“We accepted those increases, citing the rising costs of diesel, maintenance, and spare parts. But last week, it jumped again to N178,500, effective from April 14. Customers can’t cope,”; he said.
“We believe the dredgers are trying to dominate the market with their own trucks. Their pricing and rotation policies are affecting our access to customers.”;
A truck driver, Mr Sodiq Owolabi, also claimed he was assaulted during a previous protest.
“I was trying to protect my boss when some thugs and security personnel working with the dredgers attacked me. They held me down, took me to their barracks, and beat me up,”; he alleged.
The protesters urged the Lagos State Government to step in and mandate the Dredgers Association to revise their pricing structure in the interest of economic fairness and public affordability.
In response to the protest, the Chairman of the Dredgers Association in Ikorodu, Mr. Tunde Adigun, attributed the price hikes to the deteriorating economic situation.
“The truck drivers are our customers. I also own trucks. I bought my last one for N39 million; now, it costs N100 million. The cost of operations keeps rising.
“We used to pump sand from 100–200 meters offshore; now we go as far as four kilometres. That significantly increases expenses,”; he explained.
Mr Adigun said that each increment was preceded by meetings with tipper associations where agreements were reached.
“Whenever we adjust prices, we meet with their executives and explain our challenges. We don’t just impose new prices.
“Five dredging sites have shut down because operations are no longer profitable. Even some of our Chinese partners have pulled out,”; he stated.
