Evaluation of Maintenance Management Systems in a Nigerian Dry Dock Facility

Effective maintenance management in dry dock facilities requires integrated planning systems that coordinate vessel repair schedules, material procurement, workforce allocation, and quality assurance. This study evaluates the maintenance management systems operational at the Nigerian Navy Dockyard, Lagos, with relevance to the broader civilian dry-docking industry in Nigeria. A professional case study design was employed, using structured interviews with fifteen dry dock managers, engineers, and planning officers, combined with review of maintenance management system software utilisation records and dry-docking project completion reports. The study benchmarks findings against international ship repair industry best practice frameworks. Findings indicate that maintenance planning relies heavily on manual coordination and paper-based work order systems, with computerised maintenance management system adoption at an early and underutilised stage. Spare parts procurement delays are identified as the most significant factor contributing to dry-docking project overruns, attributable to limited pre-ordering based on anticipated defect patterns identified during pre-dry-dock surveys. Workforce skill gaps in specialist areas including cathodic protection installation, propeller reconditioning, and underwater welding require contracting of foreign technicians for these tasks. Recommendations include full computerised maintenance management system implementation covering work order management, material control, and project scheduling, development of a Nigerian specialist ship repair technician training programme, and pre-dry-dock survey standardisation to reduce procurement lead times. Keywords: maintenance management, dry dock, ship repair, computerised maintenance management, Nigerian Navy Dockyard