The recent ban placed by the Lagos State Government on sand dredging activities has sent ripples through the built environment sector, as construction costs have shot up.

Some developers have reacted to this development by upwardly reviewing home prices.

"Various government policies, such as the shutting down of all sand dredging sites, have made procurement of sand for construction purposes more difficult," General Manager, Messrs. Megamound Investment Limited, Mr. Abiodun Sofowora, said.

According to him, such policies have led to the rising cost of construction materials such that the organisation had re-evaluated prices of units at its "Lekky County Homes" and "Carlton Gate Estate" in Lagos.

He said the price hike was inevitable to meet delivery targets of homes to buyers.

His words, "Owing to the shutting down of all sand dredging sites in Lagos, sharp sand that we used to get at N15,000 for 20 tonnes had risen severally and is now in the region of N65,000.

The Lagos State government within the past year issued no fewer than 23 Stop Work Order notices to miners and operators of dredgers who failed to comply with laid-down rules.

Acting Permanent Secretary in the Office of the Special Adviser on Mineral Resources Development (OSAMRD) in the Governor's Office, Mr. Agboola Blaise, who made this submission, added that seven dredger operator sites and six surface mining sites were inspected in Ikorodu area and those not properly registered where issued a Stop Work Order.

He added, "Eight existing mining sites were inspected with two sites which were found to be unsatisfactory due to incomplete registration were issued Stop Work Order in Badagary axis. In Lekki area, 10 mining sites and eight mechanical dredger operator sites were inspected and those that were not mining according to the laid down rules were issued a Stop Work Order."

But Managing Director, Megamound Investment Limited, Mr. Olumide Osunsina, described the decision by government to ban the activities of dredgers in the state as unfair.

According to him, the ban could be described as hasty, adding that even with the activities of the dredgers, there was still a short fall in the supply of sand to developers in the Lekki axis where his company is doing most of its development.

Osunsina said that before the state government placed the ban, only two companies were involved in large scale dredging of sand in the whole of the state.

He listed these firms to include Messrs Julius Berger (Nigeria) Plc and Westminster, saying that they were not even producing enough sand to meet the demands of the developers in Lekki and its environ.

The Megamound helmsman decried a situation whereby developers in the Lekki corridor were now groaning under the acute shortage of sand due to the ban.

According to him, a 20-ton tipper of sand cost about N65, 000 and is still rising, adding that the tipper could only make one trip due to the distance between Lekki and Ikorodu where they now get the supply of sand from.

Osunsina appealed to Governor Babatunde Fashola to take a second look on the ban and lift it. He added that this would go a long way in ameliorating the suffering of developers.

Meanwhile government officials have disclosed that, to protect the environment and restore its aesthetic value, 12 abandoned mine sites were rehabilitated in recent months in the three zones of the state.

According to them, 40 applications made up of 25 from surface miners and 15 from mechanical dredging operator were received from different axis in the state. They added that eight consents were granted to surface miners and three consents were granted to mechanical dredger operators.