The World Institute for Peace has condemned the recent increase in the price of sand by members of the Quarry and Owners Association in Osun State, accusing the group of exploiting consumers amid weak government regulation.
In a statement on Sunday, the organisation’s Executive Director, Lamina Kamiludeen Omotoyosi, said quarry owners in Osogbo and Egbedore Local Government Areas had repeatedly raised sand prices without justification, worsening the economic hardship faced by residents.
According to the group, the cost of 10 tonnes of sand was recently increased from ₦65,000 to ₦70,000, before being further raised to ₦100,000 just days later. Omotoyosi described the development as “arbitrary and unacceptable,” noting that the increases were being blamed on the price of diesel, despite no corresponding rise that could justify such steep increments.
“It is troubling that quarry owners can increase prices at will, with no accountability or consideration for the people who depend on sand for housing and development,” the statement read.
The institute also faulted the Osun State Government and the Ministry of Commerce for what it described as negligence of duty, arguing that the absence of effective regulation had allowed the association to manipulate prices freely.
“When government agencies fail to regulate markets and protect consumers, they indirectly encourage exploitation and deepen hardship,” Omotoyosi said, adding that sand is a basic material for shelter and infrastructure and should not be subjected to unchecked price manipulation.
The group called on Governor Ademola Adeleke and the Ministry of Commerce to urgently intervene, investigate the price hikes, and put measures in place to regulate the activities of quarry owners to ensure fair and reasonable pricing.
“The suffering of the people must not be ignored,” the statement concluded.
The Quarry and Owners Association had yet to respond to the allegations as of the time of filing this report.
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