Historic First: Nigerian Ports Authority Berths First Wholly Nigerian-Owned Container Vessel
MV Ocean Dragon Set to Transform Regional Trade and Maritime Logistics Under AfCFTA
By Pan Afric Reporters, LAGOS, NIGERIA
In a landmark achievement for Nigeria’s maritime sector and a major step towards regional trade integration under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) has successfully berthed the first wholly Nigerian-owned container vessel, the MV Ocean Dragon.
The milestone according to a post on the official X handle (Twitter) of NPA took place at exactly 05:05 hours on July 2, 2025, as NPA deployed its state-of-the-art marine crafts to receive the vessel, which bears the International Maritime Organization (IMO) number 9508770. Owned by Clarion Shipping West Africa Limited, MV Ocean Dragon boasts a capacity of 349 Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units (TEUs) and is poised to play a transformative role in boosting short-sea shipping across Nigeria and the West African coastline.
The vessel’s launch represents a major shift toward efficient, multimodal cargo transportation—offering a timely alternative to Nigeria’s congested road networks and further crystallizing NPA’s vision for a dynamic marine and blue economy.
Speaking on the development, Managing Director/CEO of the NPA, Abubakar Dantsoho, described the berthing as “a testament to our relentless commitment towards deepening efficiencies required for maximizing our marine and blue economy potentials.” He credited the Honourable Minister of Marine & Blue Economy, Alhaji Gboyega Oyetola, for the strategic push that led to the recent approval of a national marine economy policy by the Federal Executive Council.
Bernadine Eloka, Vice President of Clarion Shipping West Africa, hailed the MV Ocean Dragon as “a bold solution to the high-risk, road-dominated movement of cargoes in Nigeria.” She added that the vessel will enable faster and safer movement of goods—cutting delivery times from Lagos ports to destinations like Onitsha, Port Harcourt, or Calabar to just two days via sea.
“We acquired MV Ocean Dragon to provide a seamless alternative to container haulage by road. This is a strategic move to deepen regional trade under the AfCFTA and empower local logistics,” Eloka noted.
The vessel will operate across major West and Central African ports, with scheduled stops in Nigeria, Benin Republic, Togo, Ghana, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Egypt, and South Africa. Already, expressions of interest for business engagements have begun pouring in.
Mustafa Mohammed, Managing Director of Clarion Suncity Terminal Logistics Limited, said the company is prepared to compete with global maritime giants such as Maersk and MSC. “As Nigeria’s first indigenous shipping liner, we’re investing directly in assets that support Nigerian exporters—especially those in landlocked regions. We’ve already secured bookings for over 1,300 export containers,” he revealed.
This achievement coincides with NPA’s recent announcement of a $60 million investment in eco-friendly port development, underscoring the Authority’s commitment to Nigerian content, sustainability, and regional trade competitiveness.
The berthing of MV Ocean Dragon is more than a maritime milestone—it signals a new era of Nigerian-led logistics innovation and intra-African trade expansion.
