Truck drivers and owners under the Ikorodu-Ketu Truck Owners and Drivers Association, Lagos State, staged a protest on Monday against the recent hike in the price of sharp sand by the Dredgers Association.

The protest, held at the association?s operational base in Ikorodu, was triggered by a sharp price increase?from N126,000 to N178,500?for 30 tons of sharp sand, which the protesters described as unsustainable for their business.

Chairman of the truck drivers? association, Mr. Sikiru Aderoju, said the price of sharp sand had been raised twice in the past two months, leaving drivers unable to operate profitably.

?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.

Also speaking, 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 called on the Lagos State Government to intervene and compel the Dredgers Association to review the pricing in the interest of economic fairness and public affordability.

Responding to the protest, the Chairman of the Dredgers Association in Ikorodu, Mr Tunde Adigun, said the price increases were a direct result of worsening economic conditions.

?The truck drivers are our customers. I also own trucks. I bought my last one for ?39 million; now, it costs ?100 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 also addressed the allegations of violence during protests.

?The security officers were deployed to maintain order. The clash was not with truck drivers but with community members who insisted that tippers be allowed to operate. The security personnel intervened to restore peace,? he stated.

On accusations of undermining tipper drivers by operating his own trucks, Adigun said:

?I bought trucks after they stopped carrying sand from my site. I?m trying to sustain my business. Just as some truck drivers own dredging operations, I?m free to do the same.? (The PUNCH)

Update news