By Omolabake Cole
Lagos, Aug. 2, ’25 (TNZ) The Managing Director, Nigerian Port Authority, Dr Abubakar Dantsoho, has reaffirmed the Authority’s commitment to supporting indigenous vessels ownership under the Nigeria first policy.
TheNewsZenith reports that Dantsoho announced the affirmation in a statement on Friday in Lagos.
Mr Okechukwu Onyemekara, NPA’s General Manager, Corporate Communication and Strategy, signed the statement.
Dantsoho applauded the maiden arrival of MV Ocean Dragon, a wholly Nigerian-owned container vessel.
The vessel arrived at the West African Container Terminal (WACT), Onne Port, on July 31.
According to him, the vessel has impressive loading capacity of 349 TEUs. He described this as a distinctive addition to Nigeria’s growing indigenous maritime fleet.
NPA boss said MV Ocean Dragon aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope agenda. It is also in tandem with NPA’s commitment to enhancing Nigerian content development in maritime operations.
He noted the vessel’s ability to transport thousands of Gross Registered Tonnages (GRT) across Africa within days, showing Nigeria’s growing compliance with IAPH standards.
Dantsoho added that the vessel supports NPA’s focus on multi-modalism and seamless port-to-hinterland connectivity, in line with global port development frameworks.
According to him, this connectivity also supports the Export Processing Terminals (EPTs), designed to link rural producers to international trade hubs efficiently.
“The NPA’s port modernisation and reform efforts aim to sustain a business environment that has enabled consistent national trade surpluses,” TheNewsZenith quotes him as saying.
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Dantsoho noted the rise in transhipment at Lekki Deep Seaport and growing trade volumes reported by the Nigerian Economic Summit Group for 2025.
He said the addition of MV Ocean Dragon will boost Nigeria’s maritime profile. It also shows that the investment climate is increasingly improving.
“With rising shipping volumes, investments like this will shape the long-term impact of maritime trade. It will also reinforce Nigeria’s global shipping relevance,” he added.
He assured investors that NPA, under Minister Adegboyega Oyetola’s leadership, will keep working to enhance ease of business in the blue economy sector.
Dantsoho said the container vessel, owned by Clarion Shipping West Africa Ltd, exemplifies indigenous investment with its 349 TEU capacity.
He said MV Ocean Dragon will advance short-sea shipping by serving local and regional routes, offering faster, cost-effective alternatives to road transport.
The vessel, Dantsoho added will operate across Nigeria and West Africa ports. It will extend to in Benin, Togo, Ghana, Cameroon, and Côte d’Ivoire.
Its route will also cover Egypt, S/Leone, and S/Africa, helping to integrate regional trade networks through efficient maritime connectivity. (TNZ)
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