Container Port Selection in West Africa: A Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (original) (raw)
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The Attractiveness of Ports in West Africa: Some Lessons from Shipping Lines' Port Selection
Growth and Change
This paper investigates the attractiveness of ports in West Africa through the development of a container shipping lines' port choice methodology. Although many multi-criteria decision-making methods have been developed and applied to facilitate a rational port choice process, few have investigated the criteria used by shipping lines when selecting ports in West Africa. With the rapid economic development of West Africa, the task of establishing a rational model to guide shipping lines to choose their favourite ports in the region becomes urgent. In this work, 16 criteria are identified to assist shipping lines in port choice from four perspectives including adequate infrastructure, port location, port charge, and port administration/port efficiency. In order to quantitatively evaluate these criteria, an analytical hierarchy process approach is used to make use of subjective judgements to compensate the incompleteness of objective data. One of the important findings from this study is that port infrastructure is the most crucial criterion in terms of the port attractiveness in West Africa. It is followed by port draught, political stability, market size/cargo volume, and international networks. The research outcomes also indicate that the port of Abidjan is the most attractive container port in West Africa, followed by Dakar when all the identified important criteria are taken into account. bs_bs_banner Growth and Change
American Journal of Industrial and Business Management, 2015
In the last decade, inter-port competition in West Africa has become fiercer as captive hinterlands of ports continue to overlap and become contestable or shared. This is due to door-to-door supply chain services being offered by shipping lines and third party logistics service providers through inter-modalism. In addition, as cargo becomes more concentrated in the region, there have been calls for the selection of a hub location for shipping lines serving the region in order to exploit economies of scale. This paper therefore aims to evaluate the competitiveness of major ports in the West African region based on criteria selected by experts. Using the Analytic Hierarchy Process, port competitiveness was evaluated and ports ranked according to the total weights obtained based on the different criteria used. The Port of Abidjan emerged the most competitive port in West Africa with its strongest links being its efficiency and performance, infrastructure and political stability outlook in spite of recent political turmoil. The Lagos Port Complex, West Africa's largest port in terms of scale and throughput, emerged fifth falling behind the Ports of Lomé, Tema and Dakar respectively owing largely to its political stability outlook. The least competitive port was the Port of Cotonou in Benin.
Port selection criteria by shippers in Nigeria: a discrete choice analysis
International Journal of Shipping and Transport Logistics, 2013
Port selection is of relevance to shippers in achieving transport cost savings and efficiency in their operation. On the other hand, providers of port infrastructure and services are interested in finding out critical port choice factors as rational basis for formulating sustainable port reform policy. This study investigates empirically port choice criteria of Nigerian shippers who engage liner services available at the nation's coastal ports. Questionnaires were distributed to collect data on observed port choice (revealed preference data) made by shippers under study. A discrete choice model was applied to estimate the shippers' port utility function. Results show that crane efficiency, i.e., cargo handling speed at the port, the level and functionality of port facilities, shipment size, ship-calls' frequency and shipper warehouse distance from port are the most important factors which shippers of non-oil sea-freight consider when they choose ports for making shipments. Policy implications of the estimated utility function are discussed.
2006
b o m a @ y a h o o. c o m ; 2 D e p a r t m e n t o f Tr a n s p o r t M a n a g e m e n t Te c h n o l o g y, Fe d e r a l U n i v e r s i t y o f Te c h n o l o g y, P. M. B. 1 5 2 6 , O w e r r i , I m o S t a t e , N i g e r i a , We s t A f r i c a. E-m a i l : o g o u g b o m a 2 3 @ y a h o o. c o m a n d E-m a i l : i c o g w u d e @ y a h o o. c o m This study presents the findings of a survey to determine the service characteristics that shippers consider important when selecting a port and the way these characteristics are prioritised according to their importance. Seven criteria for the port selection decision and four ports were identified, and the decision problem was structured into a three-level hierarchy using the Analytic Hierarchy Process. The findings suggest that shippers place high emphasis on efficiency, frequency of ship visits and adequate infrastructure, while quick response to port users' needs was insignificant to them. Results from the study are of interest to Port managers because they provide essential information on the key factors that come into the decision process of port users, thus, identifying the strengths and weaknesses of the ports.
Strategic Analysis of Seaports using Multiple-Criteria Decision-Making Methods and TOWS
2013
Aim of This research is a Strategic analysis of seaports using multiple-criteria decision-making methods. At first, the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of Iranian seaports has been extracted from literature. Then, with respect to the importance concluded from LIKRET questionnaire distributed between experts (taking the views of the experts and specialist), five high importance factors of each strategic groups have been chosen and used in ANP analysis. When, all pricewise comparison have been done, the global weights of each factor calculated and then, four strategy alternatives have been determined with respect to the importance of each TOWS factors. Finally, after final calculation, the highest priority is assigned the SO strategy (Development of port and maritime transport facilities, utilizing modern technologies to develop transit trade in Iranian ports.), The ST strategy (Development of the trade, marketing, promotion and advertisement of transit corridors (Nor...
GATEWAY PORT SELECTION BASED ON INLAND TRANSPORT COST AND PERFORMANCE METRICS IN WEST AFRICA
GATEWAY PORT SELECTION BASED ON INLAND TRANSPORT COST AND PERFORMANCE METRICS IN WEST AFRICA, 2017
Geography can directly influence the economic development of a country and this is particularly true for landlocked countries that, by nature, do not have direct access to the sea to facilitate international trade. Landlocked countries (LLCs) are mostly dependent on the infrastructure of their transit neighbours to transport their goods to ports. Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, the three landlocked Sahelian countries in West Africa, have traditionally used ports of coastal countries to the south including the Ports of Abidjan, Tema, Lomé and Cotonou. Combined, about 9 million tons of cargo (imports and exports) was moved in 2016 between the three LLCs. In this regard, the study sought to compare inland transport costs and performance metrics of various transit corridors in West Africa. Inland transport costs are a much larger share of total import/export transport costs for LLCs. The analyses involved determining the best gateway according the level of transport cost per corridor, as well as determining a single load centre for inbound and outbound cargo flows from the landlocked hinterland of West Africa according to the total cost of transportation. Using forecasted demand, the study found that the Port of Abidjan offered the lowest transport costs in the medium to long term. However, using historical data, the Port of Tema offered the lowest inland transport costs to shippers in landlocked West Africa. In addition, with the Port of Tema as gateway to landlocked West Africa, the logistics performance across its corridors is better than its competitors.
Journal of Maritime & Transportation Science, 2020
In view of the growing international trade in Sub Saharan Africa, and very few studies done on the determinants of port choice from the Sub Saharan African port users perspective, this paper proves that efficiency is one of the critical determinants of port selection. Efficiency is a critical transportation parameter. The kernel of the paper is to examine port choice indicators and critical transportation parameters as a basis for port selection. Fifty-one business representative from Sub Saharan African countries responded to the questionnaire to indicate what they consider as critical in their importation and exportation of shipment via ports in Sub Saharan Africa. The paper established that critical transportation parameters and key port indicators are determinants in the choice of ports.
Container port selection factors: heterogeneity among major market players
Journal of International Logistics and Trade, 2010
This study explores the main factors considered when shippers and container shipping lines select their import/export and transshipment ports. In the present study, 38 container port selection indices were chosen from the previous research and field interviews. The scores of the 38 items were collected via survey to the three major maritime/port market players: shippers, shipping lines, and container terminal operators. In order to analyze the different priorities imposed on the port selection factors by the three market players, the ANOVA method has been employed. The empirical test shows the different perceptions about port selection attributes among service suppliers and demanders. In addition, the 38 items have been categorized into seven key factors through an exploratory factor analysis. The ANOVA technique was employed again to analyze the perspective differences for the port selection factors among the market players. The results show that there are significant differences among the players assessing the importance of the three port choice factors: liners and terminal operators give more weight to 'hinterland and terminal basic conditions' than shippers; terminal operators do not take 'line operation' as seriously as carriers and shippers; the factor of 'terminal operation' is more significantly considered by liners and terminal operators than by shippers.
Critical factors that impact on the efficiency of the Lagos seaports
Journal of Transport and Supply Chain Management, 2015
Background: Since the past two decades, the Lagos seaports have experienced vessel and storage yard cargo congestion, resulting in dwell times of about 30 days for containerised imports and high trade logistics costs.Objectives: The purpose of this study was to identify the critical factors that impact the operational efficiency of the Lagos seaports with a view to improving liner trade activities.Method: The study adopted an operational-based approach to understand the dynamics of the various interfaces of the port value chain. The research paradigm adopted for the study was therefore a combination of constructivism and post-positivism paradigms, which entailed the exploration and understanding of the various stakeholders in the port value chain. The epistemology of the research relied on the use of the exploratory sequential mixed method research technique (i.e. the qualitative approach followed by the quantitative approach) at the operational level of port operations.Results: The...
Port Logistics in West and Central Africa: A Strategic Development under Globalization
The main idea of this study is to provide help to West and Central Africa port logistics authorities in making, evaluating and realizing their decisions on port development/management, all in an effort to guaranty port efficiency and operational brilliance to profit the different ports, their hinterlands and their related clients. Consequently, an examination is made as far as port sector is concerned, with an ever more demanding enhancement in operational efficiency. Moreover, a past research on West and Central Africa Ports, as well as an overview on port logistics was made, making it possible to determine what has been done (prospects) and what is still to be done (ineffectiveness), in prospective of a more reformed and efficient port. One of the principles of this paper is also to confer all the aspects that operate as obstacles to the WCA port’s improvement and development; using thus the evaluation model called EWCA (Evaluation of West and Central Africa Ports), which gives a descriptive analysis of the present situation of the latter’s port logistics, including the aid of multiple regression model to determine an impact of explanatory variables on the study probability. Applying the method of strategic development, this paper thus deals with exploring typical problems and quandaries of West and Central Africa ports. The findings suggested how to fight back or overcome the constrictions and strangulations; enabling West and Central Africa port logistics attain their desired strategic development aims, despite the ineffectiveness. Tremendous efforts were made, giving a vital shoot on African economy and development; even though there is still a lot to do, for the data and variables showed how the port logistics augment and descend frequently without a long period of stability.