In a landmark move that underscores Nigeria’s growing capacity to harness the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) announced the berthing of the first wholly Nigerian-owned container vessel — MV Ocean Dragon — at 5:05 AM on July 2nd.
The vessel, with IMO number 9508770 and a capacity of 349 Twenty-Foot-Equivalent Units (TEUs), is owned by Clarion Shipping West Africa Limited. According to a statement released by the NPA on Friday, the development is a major boost to Nigeria’s push for short-sea shipping and regional trade integration.
The Ocean Dragon is designed to serve both in-country and West African maritime routes, providing a cost-effective and time-efficient alternative to Nigeria’s congested road networks. The vessel is set to operate across ports in Nigeria, Benin Republic, Togo, Ghana, Cameroon, Sierra Leone, Ivory Coast, Egypt, and South Africa, with growing interest from regional business stakeholders.
Speaking on the milestone, Managing Director/CEO of the NPA, Mohammed Bello-Koko, described the berthing as a result of sustained efforts to unlock Nigeria’s marine and blue economy. “This development is a testament to our relentless commitment towards deepening efficiencies required for maximising our marine and blue economy potentials, in line with the prompting of the Honourable Minister of Marine & Blue Economy, Alhaji Gboyega Oyetola,” he said.
Vice President of Clarion Shipping West Africa Limited, Bernadine Eloka, called the acquisition of Ocean Dragon a strategic response to the risks and inefficiencies of road-based cargo movement. She emphasized that the vessel offers a seamless shipping option that can deliver cargoes across the country and region in record time.
“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,” Eloka explained.
She further advocated for the strict enforcement of Nigeria’s cabotage laws to boost local investment, create employment opportunities, and reduce the nation’s reliance on foreign shipping lines.
The arrival of MV Ocean Dragon signals a new chapter for indigenous maritime investment and represents a bold step toward realising Nigeria’s vision of becoming a dominant player in intra-African trade.