SUCCESSFUL STRATEGIES FOR IMPROVING PORT COMMUNITY RELATIONSHIP BY ENGR. TAMUNOKUBIE FIBERESIMA, (tammycashflow@yahoo.

com; +2348056028313) ASSISTANT GENERAL MANAGER (MARINE), NATIONAL INLAND WATERWAYS AUTHORITY, PMB 100, LOKOJA, NIGERIA 1.0 INTRODUCTION: Ports are synonymous with water (maritime) transportation. Transportation could be regarded as a process of production (making the natural, human resources and others accessible and marketable); which perfected increasing human satisfaction by changing geographical position of goods or people. By- and-large, transportation is to all intents and purposes affected by topographical features (valleys, mountain chains, plan, coastlines, etc) and socio-political interferences. These interferences defined and sized the place of maritime transportation in every nation as it drastically affects the overall performance of ports authorities basic functions, such as landlord(management of infrastructure), policy making( drawing medium to long time policy), developing master plans, obtaining and supervising construction, supervisory and surveillance(effective and efficient use of assets), laws/ rules (and regulations) compliant, monitoring traffic, technological development, and developing and implementing long-term training strategies. Ports are terminals (and transhipment venues) that become the gateway of modern commercial activities of many nations of the world. Ports, as vital component of maritime transportation, are not in isolation; ports are located in districts, waterfront communities, etc; these waterways that link ports cut across districts, cities, villages, etc; roads and railway lines, pipelines, etc, linking ports for the sake of intermodal transport system cut through villages, cities, communities, etc. These communities are opened-up, populated and need development; while the ports authorities want port expansion. Then, keeping up with investment requirements of modern ports infrastructure has something to do with land availability in these host communities. The development the host communities need, and the ports expansion the ports authorities want may yield conflictual relationship. 2.0 STRATEGIES: OPEN COMMUNICATION PLATFORM Ports expansion is inevitable; because ports sites require adjacent deeper waterfront (as growing ship sizes concern) for larger terminal space(for ship handling, warehousing,

etc) and more efficient inland road and rail access; on other hand, the host communities need development; then open communication platform is required to arrest likely conflicts and its associated setbacks. These associated setbacks or conflictual pressure from the host communities may reduce the effectiveness and efficiency of ports performance and development. A participatory approach that targeted sustainable development (socially, economically, environmentally and ecologically) is recommended. Genuine participatory approach results may arrest the existing and newly introduced conflictual issues between the ports host communities and ports authorities on the following grounds: i. Introduction of wider participation, pivoting the host communities presentation, is needed to bring qualitative improvement in planning and decision-making; ii. Deals with the various issues of cross-cutting nature; iii. carefully balancing the ports operational and environmental factor; which requires creative approach to develop an integrated plan, construction, operation, maintenance and expansion(development); iv. Providing an institutional framework for such an integrated planning that could help to address the cross-cutting issues and deal with the problems of conflicting objective of development; v. Genuine participation will enhance greater vitality, taking into consideration the needs of all group in the host communities(particularly the poor and disadvantaged ); and vi. Fully tapping the wealth of readily accessible information from the host communities, gaining valuable experiences. These grounds mentioned above will effectively tackle the following: i. ii. Mobilising the host communities support knowing correctly the people of the host communities needs, attitude, aspirations, priority, ability to pay, desires, possible contributions and help, how they could be affected by growth or changing land use and activity patterns; Increasing peoples understanding ( in the host communities) of common problems and their effects on various group in the society and organization; Creating sense of belonging among all stakeholders, including the host communities; Empowering the poor and marginal group in the society in the host communities.

iii. iv. v.

3.0 BENEFITS OF OPEN COMMUNICATION PLATFORM: i. Increased community cohesion and unity; ii. Maintaining the stability of society;

iii. iv. v.

Increased quality of the functions performed and services provided by the ports; Guarding host communities interest; And revitalization of democratic practice in general.

4.0 LINES OF ATTACK: The open communication platform, participatory approach, could be lucid but cannot stand alone. This approach requires feasible lines of attack to actualise it intended results and benefits. These lines of attack could be summarised as follows: i. Participatory approach be a major activity of the ports authorities; ii. The purpose of participation be defined, such as: a. Providing information to the host communities leaderships(and other stakeholders) and vice versa; b. Collecting inputs from the host communities forum; c. Negotiation with the host communities; d. Plan preparation for solving problem(s) arising majorly from the host communities inputs and demands after hopeful negotiation; and e. Supporting host communities initiatives. iii. The level of involvement of the host communities participation be defined, e.g. lower levels of participation through indirect and consultative forms of participation; this requires community level project and community level project preparation and their implementation via community meeting/workshop and ports authorities-communities partnership. iv. A planned role of participants by nature of activity be established, as an essential design to clearly define interrelated activities and stages at which participation is to take place; v. And finally, organizing host communities participation process that religiously observed the following: a. Forming a planning team; b. Identification of issues affecting the host communities; c. Participation analysis; d. establishing the purpose and level of participation; e. identification of constraints and special circumstances; f. sampling of participants; g. method of participation, e.g. community forum, social survey, consultative forums and workshop; functions and tasks of all stakeholders; h. And writing overall plan. 5.0 CONCLUSION: Participatory approach recommended is lucid but cannot stand-alone to solve portscommunities relationship by-product, inevitable conflictual issues. These conflicting

issues solving requires feasible lines of attack. These lines of attack hopeful results will eventually increase ports services provided (via quality functions) and adequately reflect the needs of the host communities (making benefits of development more equitably shared).