AfCFTA: NPA Berth First Wholly Nigerian Owned Container Vessel

In a bid to maximize the benefits of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) on 2nd July at 05:05 hours berthed the first wholly Nigerian-owned container vessel.

The container vessel, which berthed at the Five Star Logistics Terminal in TinCan Island Port has its International Maritime Organization (IMO) number 9508770 and christened MV Ocean Dragon is owned by Clarion Shipping West Africa Limited, has a capacity of 349 Twenty-Foot-Equivalent Units (TEUs) gives a boost to concerted investment drive geared towards reaping the cost and time saving benefits of short-sea shipping.

The vessel, according to reports is scheduled to operate across West Africa and beyond, servicing ports in Nigeria, Benin Republic, Togo, Ghana, Cameroon, Sierra Leone, Ivory Coast, Egypt, South Africa and others, with expressions of interest for business already being established.

Responding to the milestone, the Managing Director/ CEO of the NPA Abubakar Dantsoho said “this development is a testament to our relentless commitment towards deepening efficiencies required for maximizing our marine and blue economy potentials in line with the prompting of the Honourable Minister of Marine & Blue Economy Adegboyega Oyetola whose tenacity of purpose culminated in the recent Federal Executive Council (FEC) approval of the national policy on Marine and Blue Economy”.

On her part, Vice President of Clarion Shipping West Africa Limited, Bernadine Eloka, described the acquisition as a bold solution to the high-risk,

“We acquired MV Ocean Dragon to offer a seamless alternative to container haulage by road. Rather than struggling to move containers from Lekki to Onitsha, Port Harcourt, or Calabar by trucks, Ocean Dragon can move up to 349 containers by sea and deliver within two days from port to port,” Eloka said.

This development is coming on the heels of the announcement by the MD NPA Abubakar Dantsoho of fresh injection of 60 million USD in fresh investments towards the establishment of eco-friendly ports developments catalyzed by the Authority’s renewed orientation towards Nigerian content development.

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