The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) has pledged continued support for indigenous shipping initiatives following the maiden berthing of MV Ocean Dragon, a fully Nigerian-owned container vessel, at the West African Container Terminal (WACT), Onne Port.
NPA Managing Director, Dr Abubakar Dantsoho, described the development as a significant milestone for local maritime growth, aligning with the Nigeria First policy and President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope agenda.
In a statement issued Friday by NPA’s General Manager, Corporate Communication and Strategy, Okechukwu Onyemekara, Dantsoho praised the vessel’s 349 Twenty-foot Equivalent Unit (TEU) capacity, calling it a major boost to Nigeria’s indigenous shipping capability.
He said the MV Ocean Dragon demonstrates Nigeria’s readiness to comply with International Association of Ports and Harbors (IAPH) standards, and reinforces efforts to enhance connectivity between seaports and inland trade hubs through multi-modal transport systems.
The NPA boss added that this aligns with the agency’s Export Processing Terminal (EPT) initiative, aimed at linking rural producers to international markets more efficiently.
According to Dantsoho, the vessel, operated by Clarion Shipping West Africa Ltd, will promote short-sea shipping across Nigeria and regional countries including Benin, Togo, Ghana, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Egypt, Sierra Leone, and South Africa.
He noted that rising transhipment activity at Lekki Deep Seaport and increased national trade volumes, as reported by the Nigerian Economic Summit Group, are signs of a favourable investment climate.
Dantsoho assured that under the supervision of the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, the NPA will continue efforts to improve ease of doing business and drive growth in Nigeria’s blue economy sector.
(NAN)