The socio-economic and security issues of night landings and arrangements at the port of Owendo: The example of the mineral terminal
Vol 8, Issue 16, 2024
(Abstract)
Abstract
Global economic competition is leading companies to improve their competitiveness by increasing production and eliminating the main obstacles to the process of making products available. This approach concerns both SMEs and SMIs as well as multinationals. Thus, the Compagnie Minière de l’Ogooué (COMILOG), a subsidiary of the French group ERAMET, which until recently had a monopoly on manganese mining in Gabon, must now face competition from Asian operators. To export its ore, COMILOG must first transport it by rail for nearly 650 km, from the Moanda site (south-east of the country) to the port of Owendo. However, port operations, which until then took place exclusively during the day, limited the company’s export capacities and the profits made, while increasing the stopover time of ships and their operating costs. To remedy this, the French company introduced nighttime docking and departures. This work addresses the challenges of the performance of port operations at the Owendo ore terminal and the security and natural risks of night manoeuvres. The general objective of the study is to assess the impact of these night services on ship traffic, on the one hand, and to identify the related socio-economic and security issues, on the other hand. Data collection was carried out using documentary research in libraries and research centres, consultation of websites, semi-directed interviews, questionnaire surveys and participatory observation. The sample of 50 people surveyed took into account management staff, supervisors and line managers, integrating the diversity of actors involved in the processing of ships calling at the port of Owendo. Finally, the surveys attest to a clear reduction in the time spent by ships at the Owendo Ore Port and an increase in their number calling. They also confirm the improvement in tonnages embarked and the improvement in turnover achieved by COMILOG. This study led to the conclusion that the introduction of night manoeuvres at the port of Owendo allowed COMILOG to increase its exports and the number of ore carriers received in stopover and then improve its turnover.
Keywords
Full Text:
PDFReferences
Abogho Essono, L. (2018). Hygiene and Health Management in the Port Environment: The Case of the Port of Owendo Handlers (French) [Master’s thesis]. Université Omar Bongo Libreville.
Ango Obiang, E. M. (2019). The dynamics of Gabonese ports through the conquest of an international hinterland: challenges and strategies (French) [Master’s thesis]. Université Omar Bongo, Libreville.
Barthe, B., Queinnec, Y., Verdier, F. (2004). Analysis of work activity on night shifts: 25 years of research and future prospects (French). Available online: https://www.cairn.info/revue-le-travail-humain-2004-1-page-41.htm (accessed on 22 March 2024).
Beaud, P., Marie-Claude, B., Gottraux P., et al. (1990). Night work and other forms of atypical working hours: consequences for work, health, private life and social relations (French). Université de Lausanne, Faculté des Sciences Sociales et Politiques, Lausanne. 32 p.
Calas, Bernard. (2006). From Dar Es Salam to Bongoland: urban mutations in Tanzania (French). ADES-Dymset (Nairobi; Paris; Pessac). 310 p.
Comilog Eramet. (2022). Transport and export (French). Available online: https://comilog.eramet.com/comilog/notre-chaine-de-valeurs/transport/ (accessed on 22 March 2024).
COMILOG. (2017). Rapport annuel. COMILOG. p. 60.
Conférence des Nations Unies sur le Commerce et le Développement. (1983). Working hours in ports: from a normal day with overtime to two-shift working (French). Nation Unies, Genève. 19 p.
Conjonctures. (2021). Gabon: COMILOG aims to increase manganese production to 7 million tonnes by 2022 (French). Available online: https://www.conjonctures.net/2021/02/16/gabon-comilog-ambitionne-de-porter-sa-production-de-manganese-a-7-millions-de-tonnes-dici-2022/ (accessed on 22 March 2024).
Conseil Economique Social et Environnemental. (2010). Night work: impact on employees’ working and living conditions (French). Rapport du Conseil Economique Social et Environnemental.
Directinfosgabon. (2019). COMILOG: sales of 741 billion cfa francs in 2018 and a new production record (French). Available online: https://directinfosgabon.com/comilog-un-chiffre-daffaires-de-741-milliards-de-francs-en-2018-et-un-nouveau-record-de-production/ (accessed on 22 March 2024).
Directinfosgabon. (2021). COMILOG: sales of 551 billion francs by 2020 (French). Available online: https://directinfosgabon.com/comilog-un-chiffre-daffaires-de-551-milliards-de-francs-en-2020/ (accessed on 22 March 2024).
Directinfosgabon. (2023). COMILOG nears sales of 1000 billion cfa francs by 2022 (French). Available online: https://directinfosgabon.com/comilog-frole-les-1000-milliards-de-francs-de-chiffre-daffaires-en-2022/ (accessed on 22 March 2024).
Eramet. (2021). Towards 7 Mt: 2 new screens at COMILOG to support production (French). Available online: https://www.eramet.com/fr/news/2021/03/vers-les-7-mt-2-nouveaux-cribles-a-comilog-pour-soutenir-la-production/ (accessed on 22 March 2024).
Facebook. (2019). COMILOG train derailment (French). Available online: https://www.facebook.com/setrag.gabon.officiel/videos/deraillement-train-comilog/278632172807912/ (accessed on 22 March 2024).
Gabon minutes. (n.d.). Available online: https://gabonminutes.com/gabon-deraillement-du-train-mineralier/01/11/2023-la-setrag-suspend-le-trafic-ferroviaire-de-maniere-momentane/ (accessed on 22 March 2024).
Gabonreview. (2018). Mining: COMILOG’s fine 2017 figures (French). Available online: https://www.gabonreview.com/mines-les-beaux-chiffres-2017-de-comilog/#:~:text=Le%20conseil%20d’administration%20a,360%20milliards%20de%20francs%20CFA (accessed on 22 March 2024).
Ibouanga, B., Mouvondo, E., Ndjambou, L. E. (2022). Ports and inland network development: the case of Owendo and Port-Gentil in Gabon (French). Revue Espaces Africains-Revue des Sciences Sociales, n°2, 1, 25–42.
Infosplusgabon. (2013). Gabon: COMILOG sales down in 2012 (French). Available online: https://www.infosplusgabon.com/economie/agriculture/461-gabon-baisse-du-chiffre-daffaires-de-la-comilog-en-2012 (accessed on 22 March 2024).
Jordan, S. (2017). Sales: COMILOG sets the record straight (French). Available online: https://www.gabonreview.com/chiffre-daffaires-mise-point-de-comilog/ (accessed on 22 March 2024).
Jounal du Cameroun. (2014). Night work “as a solution to decongest the Port of Douala” (French). Available online: https://www.journalducameroun.com/le-travail-de-nuit-comme-solution-pour-decongestionner-le-port-de-douala 2014, (accessed on 15 January 2022).
Kouaki, F. M. (2018). Development strategy for the Owendo port complex in a competitive context between Gabon Port Management and Gabon Special Economic Zone (French) [Master’s thesis]. Université Omar Bongo, Libreville.
Leonard, R. (1998). Work and time, working atypical hours (French). Institut National de Recherche sur les Conditions de Travail (INRCT), 265.
Makiela-Magambou, G. (2007). Port logistics in Gabon: contribution to a transport geography of the Central African Economic and Monetary Community (French) [PhD thesis]. Université Paul Valéry-Montpellier III, Montpellier. 545 p.
Mihindou, M. S. (2021). COMILOG: production up, sales down slightly in 2020 (French). Available online: https://lunion-archives.org/web.11/dmdocuments/N13646-12-13-06-2021-006.pdf 13 juin 2021 (accessed on 22 March 2024).
Mondjo, M. L. A. (2020). GPM’s infrastructure concessions in the face of competition (French) [Master’s thesis]. Université Omar Bongo, Libreville.
Moutsiangou Boubeya, Y. P. (2018). Ship call management at ACAE Secondary Port (French) [Master’s thesis]. Université Omar Bongo, Libreville.
Ndjambou, L. E. (2008). Land transport networks in Gabon: assessment and outlook (French). Open Edition Journals, 209–231.
Ndjambou, L. E. (2014). ALLAGBE Sotondji Benjamin, FAURE François Edgard, 2014, “La filière manganèse d’exportation au Gabon: organisation logistique et contraintes.” (French). Revue Gabonaise de Géographie, LANASPET, n°6, 9ème Année, 25–43.
Ngueyap, R. (2019). Gabon: derailment of a COMOLOG train heavily laden with manganese (French). Available online: https://www.agenceecofin.com/transports/2811-71605-gabon-deraillement-d-un-train-comilog-lourdement-charge-de-manganese (accessed on 22 March 2024).
Ntsagui, L. (2005). Port passage at Owendo commercial port (French) [PhD thesis]. Université Omar Bongo, Libreville.
Observatoire Europe-Afrique. (2017). Performance levels and costs of port passage operations in African ports (French), Etude de cas, 27.
Okirou-Guitenga, H. S. (2024). Analysis of the implementation process of the ISM Code in Gabon by the Direction Générale de la Marine Marchande (French) [Master’s thesis]. Université Omar Bongo, Libreville.
Okoula, M. M. (2018). Handling operations at ACAE’s secondary port (French) [Master’s thesis]. Université Omar Bongo, Libreville.
Owona, S. (2016). Gabon: COMILOG reports lower sales despite higher production (French). Available online: https://www.agenceecofin.com/manganese/0806-38687-gabon-la-comilog-affiche-une-baisse-du-chiffre-d-affaires-malgre-la-hausse-de-la-production (accessed on 22 March 2024).
Pyramidmediasgabon. (2022). Railroad. Another freight train derails in an unstable area (French). Available online: https://pyramidmediasgabon.com/2022/12/voie-feree-un-nouveau-deraillement-dun-train-de-marchandises-en-zone-instable/ (accessed on 22 March 2024).
Renamy Awenza, L. A. M. (2023). Contribution to the analysis of the performance of port handling operations: The case of Owendo commercial port (French) [Master’s thesis]. Université Omar Bongo, Libreville.
VOX POPULI 241. (2022). Gabon. Train derailment: SETRAG announces the suspension of the train (French). Available online: https://vxp241.com/02/03/2022/gabon-deraillement-de-train-setrag-annonce-la-suspension-du-trafic/ (accessed on 22 March 2024).
Zinsou, A. C. (2009). Managing safety at sea in the Autonomous Port of Cotonou in Revue électronique du Centre of Maritime and Oceanic Law at the University of Nantes (French). Available online: http://www.droit.univ-.fr/labos/cdmo/centre-droit-maritime-oceanique/cdmo/cdmo/cdmo.php (accessed on 22 March 2024).
DOI: https://doi.org/10.24294/jipd10561
Refbacks
- There are currently no refbacks.
Copyright (c) 2024 Léandre Edgard Ndjambou
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
This site is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.