The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) has marked a notable development in the country’s maritime industry with the berthing of MV Ocean Dragon, the first wholly Nigerian-owned container vessel, at the West African Container Terminal, WACT-APM Terminals Nigeria in the Onne Port Complex, Rivers State.
The event, which took place on Thursday, has been described by the authority as a milestone in the ongoing efforts to promote indigenous participation in maritime trade and logistics.
Speaking at the occasion, the Managing Director of the NPA, Dr Abubakar Dantsoho, reaffirmed the authority’s commitment to enhancing Nigerian ownership within the maritime sector. He linked this development to the Federal Government’s “Nigeria First” policy under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration, which seeks to stimulate local investment across key economic sectors, including shipping.
According to Dantsoho, the arrival of MV Ocean Dragon is a demonstration of progress in the country’s drive to support indigenous operators in the shipping industry. He noted that the container vessel, which has a loading capacity of 349 Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units (TEUs), not only expands Nigeria’s maritime capabilities but also reflects a growing interest among domestic investors in the opportunities within short-sea shipping and regional trade routes.
Dantsoho emphasised that the vessel’s capacity to move significant volumes of cargo across multiple African ports in a relatively short period supports the broader goals of multimodal transport integration. He noted that this aligns with the principles of the International Association for Ports and Harbours (IAPH) concerning seamless port-hinterland connectivity.
The vessel’s scheduled operations across ports in West, Central, and Southern Africa — including countries such as Benin Republic, Togo, Ghana, Cameroon, Sierra Leone, Ivory Coast, Egypt, and South Africa — illustrate its potential to support intra-African trade and regional economic cooperation.
The NPA Managing Director also referenced recent reforms and infrastructure development initiatives undertaken by the authority to facilitate trade and improve port efficiency. Among these is the implementation of Export Processing Terminals (EPTs), designed to connect local manufacturers and exporters — especially those in remote areas — to international markets more effectively. He noted that these reforms are aimed at reducing bottlenecks in the logistics chain, enhancing turnaround times, and improving Nigeria’s trade competitiveness.
Dantsoho highlighted that the berthing of MV Ocean Dragon comes at a time when Nigeria is experiencing a rise in transhipment activities, particularly from facilities such as the Lekki Deep Seaport.
He cited figures from the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG), which indicate a positive trend in external trade volumes for 2025. In his view, the entrance of a domestically owned container vessel into this growing ecosystem underscores a broader improvement in the business environment, particularly in maritime operations.
The vessel, owned by Clarion Shipping West Africa Limited, represents an example of private sector participation in the government’s vision of developing a sustainable blue economy. By serving coastal and regional routes, MV Ocean Dragon is expected to support efforts aimed at decongesting road transport corridors and enhancing the viability of inland and coastal shipping alternatives.
In his remarks, Dantsoho assured stakeholders and international investors of the NPA’s readiness to work collaboratively towards optimising the use of Nigeria’s maritime assets. He reaffirmed the authority’s commitment to port modernisation, regulatory reform, and investment facilitation under the supervision of the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, led by Minister Adegboyega Oyetola.
He stated that ongoing efforts will remain focused on improving operational efficiency, advancing technological adoption, and ensuring that Nigeria remains competitive in the global maritime space.
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