DIGITALIZATION OF MARITIME LOGISTICS AND OPERATIONAL SAFETY OF SEAPORTS IN NIGERIA

Abstract

This study investigated the association between digitalization of maritime logistics and operational safety of Seaports in Nigeria. Adopting a critical realism, this study applied causal research design and quantitative methodology to establish the association between the variables. The population of this study comprised the 7 Seaports in Nigeria. 63 respondents from the seaports provided quantitative data for the study through a semi-structured questionnaire designed in Likert 5-point scale. The data were analyzed using inferential statistics particularly regression analyses to assess the association between digitalization of maritime logistics and operational safety of Nigerian seaports, by testing 4 null hypotheses in the study. The analysis revealed that automated demand planning, warehouse automation, automated inventory management, and transport automation have significant and positive association with operational safety. Based on this findings, we concluded that digitalization of maritime logistics has a positive, and significant association with operational safety of Seaports in Nigeria. Therefore, we recommended that, Seaports in Nigeria should improve on digitalizing their logistics operations, leverage resources within and outside the organizations in order to improve operational safety and overall port performance.