CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
Worldwide port and maritime operations, as well as its accompanying facilities and infrastructure, are one of the most significant unsolved challenges to nation-state security and the global economy today. The primary reason that ports and shipping operations are so difficult to secure is due to their technological limitations. Ports are often huge, asymmetrical activities spread out over hundreds of acres of land and sea to support ship, truck, and rail traffic, petroleum product/liquid offloading, storage or pipeline, and container storage all at the same time.
The movement of freight, cargo (solid or liquid), and transportation via a port is usually done on a “queuing” system, which means that any delay disrupts all operations. Whether or not the delays are attributable to security, security usually takes a back seat in the pursuit of expediency.
STATEMENT OF PROBLEM
Maritime security is, without a doubt, a conundrum (Uadiale and Yonmo, 2010a). As a result of the fragmentation of central government power, a serious problem of marine security has arisen. The Horn of Africa and the Gulf of Guinea are thus emblematic of “the few situations in Africa where land-based security has significantly impacted maritime security.” The absence of marine security in the region, as well as the inability to execute the law and maintain good order at sea, posed a threat to maritime communication and sovereignty, as well as encouraging piracy. While much of the piracy off the coast of Somalia is due to the collapse of administration and law and order in Somalia, the situation in the Gulf of Guinea is quite different. Piracy on the high seas
OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
1. Evaluate maritime security, as well as information and communication technology.
RESEARCH QUESTIONS
1. What criteria can be used to evaluate marine security, information, and communications technology?
RESEARCH HYPOTHESIS
Ho: It is impossible to examine maritime security, information and communications technology.
Hi: It is possible to examine maritime security, as well as information and communication technologies.
SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
Information Communication Technology (ICT) encompasses a variety of ways for exchanging data between two or more devices, such as computers, mobile PDAs, and high-tech gadgets, using any of various means of interconnection, mostly the Internet, to accomplish a specific goal. These technologies allow for quick, low-cost, secure, and convenient communication.
As a result, the importance of ICT in the marine industry on maritime operations and security in developing countries, particularly Nigeria, cannot be overstated.
As a result, the purpose of this research is to determine the impact of ICT on the security of maritime operations.
SCOPE OF THE STUDY
The study uses rivers port as a case study to analyze maritime security, information, and communications technology.
LIMITATION OF THE STUDY
Financial constraints – A lack of funds impedes the researcher’s efficiency in locating relevant materials, literature, or information, as well as in the data gathering procedure (internet, questionnaire and interview).
Time constraint: The researcher will be working on this subject while also doing other academic tasks. As a result, the amount of time spent on research will be reduced.
DEFINITION OF TERMS
Maritime: This refers to anything that has to do with the sea, especially when it comes to seaborne trade or naval concerns.
Security refers to a person’s, a building’s, an organization’s, or a country’s protection from threats.
Information and Communications Technology (ICT) is a broad word that encompasses any communication device or application, including radio, television, cellular phones, computer and network hardware and software, satellite systems, and other services and applications.
REFERENCE
M. Uadiale and E. Yonmo (2010a). Addressing the Issues of Maritime Piracy in Contemporary Africa in International Courts. A paper has been accepted for presentation at the upcoming Africa Conference 2011: Africa in World Politics, which will be held at the University of Texas in Austin, Texas, from March 25th to 27th 2011. Page 1 through 20.
Maritime Policy and Management, 31 (4), 47-67, Bichou, K., and Gray, R., 2004. A logistics and supply chain management approach to port performance measurement.
A critical examination of customary terminology for identifying seaports, Bichou, K., and Gray, R., Transportation Research Part A, 39 (1), 75-92, upcoming.
La DesserteTerrestre des Ports Maritimes, RoundTable 113, European Conference of Ministers of Transport, 1998, Paris: 10-11 December 1998
R. Gray, R. Gray, R. Gray, R. Gray, R. Gray, R. Gray, R. Gray, R. Gray, R. Gray, R. Gray, R. Gray, R. Gray, R