NPA Pushes Indigenous Shipping Growth as First Fully Nigerian-Owned Container Vessel Docks

The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) has reaffirmed its commitment to promoting indigenous ownership of shipping vessels in alignment with President Bola Tinubu’s ‘Nigeria First’ policy. The declaration came during the historic maiden call of the fully Nigerian-owned container vessel “MV Ocean Dragon” at the West Africa Container Terminal, Onne Port Complex on Thursday.

NPA Managing Director Dr. Abu Dantsoho hailed the vessel’s arrival as a milestone for Nigeria’s maritime sector, noting its 349 Twenty-Foot-Equivalent Unit (TEU) capacity and advanced features. “We are fascinated that MV Ocean Dragon is wholly Nigerian, which speaks to the Renewed Hope ‘Nigeria First’ policy and NPA’s renewed orientation towards Nigerian content development,” Dantsoho stated.

The vessel, owned by Clarion Shipping West Africa Limited, represents a significant boost for regional trade, offering efficient short-sea shipping alternatives to road transport. It will service routes across Nigeria, Benin Republic, Togo, Ghana, Cameroon, Sierra Leone, Ivory Coast, Egypt, and South Africa.

Dantsoho emphasized that the vessel’s operational capacity aligns with international maritime standards, stating: “This signposts Nigeria’s commitment to the International Association for Ports and Harbours’ (IAPH) principles on multi-modalism and seamless Port-Hinterland Connectivity.”

The NPA chief linked the development to broader economic gains, citing Nigeria’s growing transhipment volumes at Lekki Deep Seaport and positive trade reports from the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG). “The coming on stream of MV Ocean Dragon symbolizes that Nigeria’s business environment is progressively improving,” he added.

Dantsoho assured investors of NPA’s continued efforts to enhance port operations under the supervision of the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Gboyega Oyetola. “We will continue galvanizing stakeholder efforts to promote ease of doing business and optimize our maritime potential,” he pledged.

The vessel’s deployment strengthens Nigeria’s push for multimodal transport solutions and follows NPA’s establishment of Export Processing Terminals designed to connect local producers with international markets. Industry analysts view this development as critical for reducing logistics costs and boosting intra-African trade under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agreement.

With Nigeria’s blue economy strategy gaining momentum, MV Ocean Dragon’s operations are expected to stimulate further indigenous investments in the maritime sector while supporting regional trade integration.