Impact of Reforms on Port Performance in Lagos Port Complex, Nigeria

Abstract

Maritime transport plays a vital role in nations that are accessible by sea. It contributes to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of a nation. Prior to port reforms, Nigeria ports were faced with numerous challenges. Thus, leading to low performance and productivity. Therefore this paper examined the impact of reforms on port performance in the Nigerian ports.The sampling technique adopted for this study was stratified sampling.Both inferential and descriptive statistics were employed. Descriptive statistics were used to analyse ship traffic, cargo throughput and infrastructural provision while inferential statistics analysed the effect of port reforms on cargo clearance. The result showed an increase in cargo handling equipment, dredging equipment, improvement in access channels and an increase in ship traffic. Also, port reform has an impact on cargo clearance with r = 0.749. It was concluded that there is a strength of association between port reform and cargo clearance. It was recommended that Modern handling equipment that will ensure 48 hours clearance should be provided by the concessionaires. Availability of the railroad is highly crucial to reduce gridlocks on road infrastructure.