Socioeconomic Characteristics and Perspectives on Cargo Handling: A Study of Tin Can Island Port, Apapa, Nigeria

Abstract

This research examines the socioeconomic and cargo handling characteristics of the Tin Can Island Port in Nigeria. The rise in global trade agreements has led to a cargo handling crisis in Nigeria. However, the perspectives of the socioeconomic characteristic have not yet been studied. The sampling method used was simple random sampling, with 100 questionnaires given to all the employees and consumers who use the terminal. However, the study was based on 93 respondents who completed the survey satisfactorily. In addition, it includes in-depth interviews with some of the port-terminal employees, a few customers, and neighborhood residents on the use of intelligent port systems. The data instruments' validity and reliability were checked with a Cronbach alpha reliability test of 0.80-0.89 and found to be accurate for all the parameters. The information was analyzed using descriptive, qualitative, and chi-square statistical methods. The study found that socioeconomic factors, especially the age of the cargo handling staff, impacted the port's capability. The level of port automation and the adoption of intelligent port systems are still relatively low, though remarkable since the reforms. The research shows a significant relationship between the perception of cargo traffic level and change in the cargo handling procedure at Tin Can Island Port. In addition, it reveals a substantial connection between policy adoption and cargo handling improvement at the port.