Research
Maritime Tanker Accident on Coastal Areas in Nigeria
This study though limited due to poor attitude on the part of the respondents as regards to releasing some data that would have been helpful, was still able to investigate the effect of maritime tanker accidents on coastal areas in Nigeria, with a case study of Bayelsa and Rivers State. Five hypothesis were designed for this study, the study focused on the affect of oil tanker accidents around the Nigeria coastal environment (Bayelsa and Rivers State). With emphasis on the scope of work essentially, data were collected through the administration of questionnaires to the selected people connected with tanker and environmental industry in Nigeria. The analysis of the collected data was carried out with a descriptive statistical tool like the simple percentage and pie charts which hypothesis specified were tested using chisquares test statistical tool. Result obtained shows that the major cause of marine tankers accident in Nigeria is as a result of human factor errors and this human error has greatly led to the negative effects, the tanker accidents have posed in the coastal environment (Bayelsa and Rivers State) in Nigeria. The safety practical level of the tanker industry in Nigeria had lowered drastically which for the need for proper training and certification of Nigeria oil tanker operators the level of emergence response is relatively poor as compared to other nations with massive oil maritime transport activities. Finally, the Nigerian government should fully empower and support the maritime agencies in checkmating cases of maritime pollution and environment depredation and not boycott corners process thereby sacrificing the standards for effective and efficient maritime operations in Nigeria. Recommendation were made towards the elimination of tanker accidents and the enhancement of the Nigerian coastal environment, which needed government to formulate and promulgate laws which have stringent penalties for violators of the Pollution Act. Also national authorit
The Causes and Minimization of Maritime Disasters on Passenger Vessels
The issue of maritime disaster has become very worrisome to all stakeholders of the maritime industry, particularly the main actors in the industry. The causes and the consequent effects of maritime disasters are so numerous hence justifies this research work. Research and statistics show that human error is to blame in over 70% of marine accidents. As a matter of need and concern to the researcher and the maritime industry, the researcher was angered to carry out this work on minimization of maritime disasters with the view of contributing to the way of minimizing this menace. Research problems were stated while research questions were also formulated in order to help address the problem statements of this subject. Statistical data were extracted from Mikael E and Oscar E. on Maritime disasters from 1852 to 2011. The data collected were analysed and findings were also made. The finding shows the causes and the effect of maritime disasters such as poor education and training, inadequate policies and procedures, external factors like bad weather, Technical factors like unavailability of advanced equipments like GMDSS, human factor and its effects such as financial loss to both, the ship owner and the nearby local communities is huge, loss of job, collision with an offshore structure or a port leads to infrastructure damage and thus cause a heavy blow to human efforts among others. Recommendations such as proper implementation of the latest STCW requirements, master took the proper measures (such as reduce speed, change course, go to a safe place, send distress signal, putting in place advanced technology systems that would reduce the risk of accidents were made at the end of the research to help curb this ugly menace.
