An Examination of Nigerian Seaports Performance and Consistency

An essential measure of a port’s effectiveness is its efficiency; a well-run port lowers transportation costs, gets rid of traffic, and shortens vessel turnaround times. This study examines users’ perceptions of the pre- and transition phase of performance of Nigerian seaports. The study deployed the use of qualitative and quantitative research methods, with data spanning between the periods 1994 and 2021. The results from the study, reveal that the geographical location and the quality of port services were positive, the users rated the selected port with various variables which include, Port Services, Managerial Competency in Terminal Operations, Provision of adequate and Modern Critical Infrastructure, the use of Information Technology for cargoes clearance. In the table below, Satisfaction of port services were poorly rated during the pre-concession era with the mean value of 1.70, while at the era of post concession it was rated with the mean value of 2.75. The study concludes that the implementation of concessions during the period of this study had a positive but weak effect on the performance of seaports in Nigeria. This could be attributed to the continuous level of government interference in port operations despite concessions, which impedes the smooth performance of the nation’s ports. The study recommends that efforts should be made to enhance the policy of eradicating corrupt practices in the seaport.