Analysis of the Effects of Maritime Logistics on Berth Efficiency of Nigerian Ports

Abstract

The study evaluated the berth efficiency of Nigerian ports in handling ship calls. It also evaluated the effects of maritime logistics on the berth efficiency in Nigerian ports as it affects the handling of ships that call to the ports. It used the Lagos Apapa Port and Eastern Port of Onne as case studies because both ports handle between 65 and 75% of Nigerian imports. The quantitative and ex-post facto research design were used in which secondary data on the ship turnaround time, waiting time, time at berth and cargo dwell time prevailing in Lagos Apapa Port and Onne Port each year between 2007 and 2019 were obtained and used as proxies for maritime logistics performance and the ship traffic size handled by the port was used as indicators of berth productivity. The time expended per annum in port operations measured in man-hours and the average time vessels spent at berth annually in the ports between 2007 and 2019 were obtained and used as input to estimate the berth efficiency of the port in cargo handling relative to expended efforts in man-hours and the efficiency of the port in handling ship calls. The augmented efficiency model was used to estimate the berth efficiency of the ports while the log-linear multiple regression analysis was used to estimate the effects of maritime logistics performance on the berth efficiency of the seaports in handling ship traffic. The test of hypotheses reveals that in all cases, there is a significant effect of maritime logistics performance on berth efficiency in both ports. The models showing the relationships and effects of maritime logistics on the various berth efficiency of port are shown: InBERTHEFFICIENCY = 1.103+ 1.667InSHTRTIME   + 0.193InCARGODWELLTIME + 0.264InWAITINGTIME -5.706InBERTHTIME  and  InBERTHEFFICIENCY = 23.320 + 0.252InSHTRTIME   + 0.072InCARGODWELLTIME - 0.041InWAITINGTIME -8.535InBERTHTIME respectively for Onne and Apapa ports. The main findings and contributions of the study is that for each unit annual increase in ship turnaround time in the port, berth efficiency in ship output productivity increased by 1.667 units while a unit increase in cargo dwell time also increased berth efficiency in the port by 0.193 units. Similarly, a unit increase in vessel waiting time increases berth efficiency in the port by 0.264 units while a unit increase in the average time spent by vessels at berth being worked decreases berth efficiency of the port in handling of ship calls by 5.706 units. By implication, increasing ship turnaround time, vessel waiting time and cargo dwell time increases berth efficiency of the ports in ship handling whereas increasing vessel time at berth decreases berth efficiency in the port. It was recommended that in order to improve the berth efficiency of the ports, port authorities and terminal operators should implement logistics strategies to limit vessel waiting time and idle time at berth.