Efficient Port Operations and the Benefits of Actors - a case study of Tin Can Island Port, Nigeria

Abstract

The role and importance of a sea port can not be over-emphasized in view of the amount of cargo that is transported through seaports worldwide. Shippers and other port users are at the mercy of ports and port operators as they conduct their business. The Tin Can Island (TCI) Port, Nigeria is the subject of this study. The port’s current processes, role of statutory agencies, based on the researcher’s personal observation and field data have been X-rayed. A significant delay in cargo clearance and waiting time by port users is very evident in the port. The level of service at the port leaves much to be desired as issues of speed, reliability and cost are of increasing concern. A comparative analysis based on benchmark practices in some ports in Europe was used to identify some areas of lapses using selected port performance indicators with the aim of making recommendations to increase efficiency at the TCI Port. Inland transport infrastructure, ports equipment, technology and effective management processes and tools are some of the ways to facilitate ports operations at the TCI Port. There is a huge potential for the TCI Port if the port is better positioned as a customer oriented organization, and include market in the landlocked countries of Niger, Chad and Mali.