Public- Private Partnership: A Catalyst for Efficient Maritime Transportation System in Nigeria

Abstract

The study, which examines the concept of public-private partnership and its role
in maritime transportation towards a buoyant national economy, reviews the need
for an efficient maritime transportation system in Nigeria. It highlights the vital
role of public private partnership as a catalyst to harness the sector’s enormous
potential. Furthermore, the study discusses the need for private sector
participation in the country’s quest to attain the status of maritime shipping hub
in West and Central Africa as well as the relevance of a national shipping fleet.
The study uses exploratory approach and descriptive survey design and simple
random sampling technique to draw a sample of 263 from the target population of
589. Descriptive statistics was used and data were obtained from interviews,
empirical literature and media reports to identify the issues, challenges and
prospects in the maritime transportation sector in Nigeria. Some of the challenges
identified from structured interview, which involved focus group, include funding,
lack of harmonized and coherent maritime legal/regulatory framework, poor port
hinterland connectivity, over centralization and Federal dominance as regards the
operation of certain modes of transportation and foreign dominance in the
shipping sector with attendant capital flight in freight revenues. The findings
revealed that the challenges have contributed to the suboptimal performance of
the sector in such a way that shippers are having harrowing experiences
transporting their imports from the seaports directly to their operational bases in
the hinterland as well as in conveying exports to the seaports. Consequently, the
paper recommends that Government should, among other things, encourage
public-private partnership in transport infrastructure as well as in the operation
of Inland Dry Ports to boost hinterland connectivity which will encourage export
and pay attention to maritime infrastructural deficit because of its significance in
diversifying the economy through export and address the challenges confronting
indigenous shipping operators who would play crucial role in developing national
shipping fleet and in the aspiration towards the attainment of maritime shipping
hub in the West and Central African sub region.