Ogundanas model

Ogundanas model of port evolution is used to explain the spatio-temporal aspects of Nigeria port development. The model,
based on an analysis of some 500years of evolution, organized the spatio-temporal development of the countrys seaport
into six phases. The model is characterized by alternating concentration and diffusion processes. At the concentration phase
some ports grow rapidly in importance due to economic factors such as expansion of trade or political factors such as the
choice of a given port as an administrative centre. The contradiction in this process eventually lead to the diffusion stage e.g
concentration may result in congestion or the saturation of the foci of concentration, a situation which eventually causes
traffic to be diverted to new , previously unimportant ports. The diffusion is further encouraged when traffic is diverted to
ports which emerge to serve new traffic areas or which may gain relative importance as a result of improvement in their
terminal facilities or improved land connection to the hinterland. The model also shows that between 1500 and 1750 the
trend in port evolution was towards an unstabilized port structure
Since 1950 there have been a sort of port consolidation with Lagos as the point of sustained dominance. Ogundana in his
model emphasized the morphology and functional evolution of seaports in relation to status of economic activities in the
country. He noted that port relatedness rests on functional association and interdependence and can be viewed from a
maritime or from a continental aspect. On the seaward side, ports served by the same shipping services and thus linked to
common foreland are related. On the land side, ports that can serve alternative outlets to a port or all of a defined unit are
within that area related. The relationship of such ports may be competitive or complementary. Developing this idea of port
competitiveness and complementarity he concluded on why certain ports had tended to come into line light in maritime
affairs and later fade away in importance (or his famous port concentration and diffusion thesis). The acceptance of this
thesis depends on attitudes of mind in the choice between evolutionary verses revolutionary processes of effecting changes.
Moreover the thesis can only be true where there is no set of dynamic policy on planned development of a countrys
economy including its ports. He example quoted in the article under reference are valid for the economic historical period
noted for laissez faire attitudes
Indeed, apart from this periodization, the post laissez faire periods within which the evolutionary thesis became true in
respect of colonies and non -independent countries where no dynamic planning suitable for the nations economic and
defence needs underlays the port development efforts. Nontheless, Ogundana set out the pattern of seaport evolution in
Nigeria.

Factors influencing port development in Nigeria.

Three major factors explain the pattern and trend of port development in Nigeria Historical, Economic & Political
The historical factors include the slave trade, in which Lagos played an important role and Brithish economic interest in
Nigeria resources. When Lagos was ceded to the British crown in 1861, it signaled a more determined government decision
to expand the port of Lagos to facilitate easy evacuation of the countrys natural resources. Bonny was an important oil palm
exporting port and interior ports such as Koko, Sapele, Warri and Degema developed to fulfill the economic and political
requirements of the British. By 1912, there were about 14 ports in Nigeria
The economic factor that was most important was the expansion of trade. By 1929, the trade in raw materials have become
so large that new constructions in the port of Lagos was necessary to handle the increased volume. By 1945, export traffic
reached a total of 769,150 tons and because of the increasing volume of exports six berths with a quay length of 943m were
constructed in Lagos while Portharcourt had 4 with a length of 506m between 1956 -1961. New warehouses were built and
a floating dock with a 4000ton lifting capacity was installed in Lagos for use in ship repairs and maintenance
After independence, industrialization necessitated the importation of equipment and machineries for the rapid change
needed in port expansion. Crude oil discovery also helped Nigeria and its capacity to import increased. In 1975/76, a total of
9.3million tons of cargo passed through Nigerian ports. The increased pattern of import led to the 1975 port congestion.
Although, the internationally accepted maximum waiting period for berthing is 10days, many ships had to wait for 180days
and at height of this congestion 455 vessels were waiting to berth at Lagos port. Estimated cost of the congestion were put at
N272.3million and this does not include the costs of extra nationally diverted cargo and disruption of production. This
necessitated the expansion of ports during this period (1976-1982)

Political influence
There was discriminatory approach in some areas. According to Ekong 1977, the Eastern marketing board deliberately paid
more for produce passing through the port of Portharcourt than the port of Calabar. When dredging started in 1970s, Calabar
was neglected. Koko port development has been attributed to political factor. Since no satisfactory economic justification
can be advanced for devloping a port less tha 200km from Warri and Sapele and performing no function not available at
Warri. Decision leading to such port duplication is rationalized in terms of the need to bridge spatial inequality by ensuring
on equitable distribution of infrastructural facilities
Of greater significance in Ogundanas model is its effect on the national policy on port development strategy. He noted that
during any one plan period, the options for policy are either further concentration or else a diffusion in the port structure; in
other words, either to locate relatively more capacity at the existing leading ports or else at new or subsidiary ports. When
the principle of least cost is applied to port development at different locations, the tendency has been to consider marginal
monetary additions necessary to develop any port site to an acceptable level. On this basis, it appeared that certain port sites
would cost prohibitively and hence developments there are discouraged on the same score. This method had led to
increasing concentration of development in a few ports and what passes for related ports within a system of complexes
The current pattern of port development
(the intensive system). The present seaport system in the country can be classified into the Lagos complex, the mid-west
complex and the eastern port complex. Of these port complexes, two ports Lagos and PH have been designed as the
premier while the others Warri, KoKo, Sapele, Burutu, Calabar and Bonny have been treated as minor. The related
importance of these ports can be seen in the number of berths possessed by each and the activity level in each