"LAGOS, Nigeria — Beneath an eight-lane expressway, Nigerian men stand waist-deep in the Lagos Lagoon, lowering buckets into murky water. Each load brings up sand, reshaping the coastline of Africa’s largest city and driving away fish and livelihoods for some of its poorest people.

Not far from the bridge, wooden boats are loaded with sand. One of thousands of local dredgers, Akeem Sossu, 34, has been diving for sand for at least three years. He slips beneath the surface for about 15 seconds at a time, hauling up bucketloads bound for construction sites.

Akeem said he and his partner earn about 12,000 naira ($8) each per boatload, selling to a middleman who supplies larger buyers. Filling a boat takes about three hours. Formerly a tailor, he said dredging now supports his household.

“I come out early, sometimes 5 a.m. or 6 a.m., depending on the tide,” he said."

Grace Ekpu reports for the Associated Press January 12, 2026. [2]

SEE ALSO:

"Photos of Nigerian Sand Dredgers Reshaping Lagos’ Coastline, One Bucket At A Time" (AP) [3]