Abstract

Container ports play a vital role in international trade, facilitating the movement of goods and supporting economic development. However, much of the research focus has been on high-income countries, with limited attention given to the performance of ports in LMI countries.This study investigates the performance of container ports in LMI countries, with a specific focus on Nigeria’s container port operations from 2001 to 2012, using a mixed-methods approach. The research is divided into two phases. In the first phase, a two-stage analysis is employed. First, a non-parametric Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) and the Malmquist Productivity Index (MPI) are used to benchmark the operational efficiency of LMI container ports relative to Nigerian ports and assess productivity changes over time. Second, a Tobit regression is applied to identify the key determinants of port efficiency. In the second phase, qualitative template analysis is used to explore the challenges facing Nigerian ports and evaluate the impact of organisational reforms.The findings reveal that inefficiencies in LMI container ports are largely due to pure technical inefficiency rather than scale inefficiency. Productivity improved by 1.9% annually during the study period, driven primarily by efficiency gains rather than technological advancements. The qualitative analysis shows that Nigeria's port reforms have improved infrastructure investment, management expertise, service quality, and overall performance. However, challenges such as infrastructure deficits, regulatory inconsistency, administrative bottlenecks, and high operational costs persist.This research offers key insights for policymakers, port authorities, and stakeholders in lower-middle-income (LMI) countries, highlighting the need for strong infrastructure investment, improved governance, and rapid technological modernisation to boost port performance. Implementing these measures can enhance global competitiveness, increase operational efficiency, and drive sustainable growth in the port sector.

Awarding Institution(s)

University of Plymouth

Supervisor

Sarah Tuck, Lijun Tang, Panagiotis Tziogkidis, Chukwuneke Okorie

Document Type

Thesis

Publication Date

2025

Deposit Date

November 2025

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