The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) marked a historic milestone by deploying state-of-the-art marine crafts to berth MV Ocean Dragon, the first wholly Nigerian-owned container vessel, at the Lagos Oriental Hotel.
Owned by Clarion Shipping West Africa Limited, the vessel, with an International Maritime Organization (IMO) number 9508770 and a capacity of 349 Twenty-Foot-Equivalent Units (TEUs), signals Nigeria’s readiness to harness the benefits of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
The development aligns with the NPA’s push for multimodal transport solutions, offering a faster, more efficient alternative to road-based container haulage.
The MV Ocean Dragon is set to transform intra-African trade by servicing ports across Nigeria, Benin Republic, Togo, Ghana, Cameroon, Sierra Leone, Ivory Coast, Egypt, and South Africa.
With bookings already secured for 1,300 export containers, the vessel is poised to support Nigerian exporters, particularly farmers and manufacturers, by reducing delays and addressing container shortages. Clarion Shipping’s Vice President, Bernadine Eloka, emphasized the vessel’s role in streamlining logistics.
“Rather than struggling to move containers by road from Lekki to Onitsha, Port Harcourt, or Calabar, Ocean Dragon can deliver up to 349 containers by sea in just two days,” she said, highlighting its potential to revolutionize regional trade under AfCFTA.
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NPA Managing Director Abubakar Dantsoho hailed the achievement as a testament to Nigeria’s commitment to maximizing its Marine and Blue Economy potential, crediting the leadership of the Honourable Minister of Marine & Blue Economy, Alh. Gboyega Oyetola. The milestone follows the recent Federal Executive Council (FEC) approval of a national policy on Marine and Blue Economy and a $60 million investment in eco-friendly port development, reinforcing Nigeria’s focus on local content.
Mustafa Mohammed, Managing Director of Clarion Suncity Terminal Logistics Limited, underscored the company’s ambition to compete with global shipping giants like Maersk and MSC.
“As Nigeria’s first indigenous shipping liner, we’re investing in assets to empower local exporters and importers, especially in landlocked regions,” he said. The enforcement of Nigeria’s cabotage regime, he added, will drive local investment, create jobs, and reduce reliance on foreign shipping lines.
