The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) has made a significant milestone in the country’s maritime sector by berthing its first wholly Nigerian-owned container vessel, MV Ocean Dragon.
NPA announced this milestone on its official X handle on Friday, reiterating its unwavering commitment to unlocking Nigeria’s marine and blue economy potential.
The vessel owned by Clarion Shipping West Africa Limited, has a capacity of 349 Twenty-Foot-Equivalent Units (TEUs) and is set to operate across West Africa and beyond, servicing ports in several countries including Nigeria, Benin Republic, Togo, Ghana, and South Africa.
Persecondnews reports that the MV Ocean Dragon is expected to give a boost to concerted investment drive geared towards reaping the cost and time-saving benefits of short-sea shipping.
By offering an efficient alternative to road transport, the vessel will help reduce logistics costs and increase revenue for the country.
According to Bernadine Eloka, Vice President of Clarion Shipping West Africa Limited, the acquisition of the vessel is a bold solution to the high-risk, road-dominated movement of cargoes within Nigeria and a strategic move to deepen regional trade under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
Clarion Shipping West Africa Limited aims to offer more efficient intra-African shipping services while opening up new business opportunities across ports in Nigeria, Ghana, Ivory Coast, and beyond.
The company’s Managing Director, Mustafa Mohammed, said they would take aggressive steps to compete with global giants such as Maersk Line and MSC by leveraging its status as Nigeria’s first indigenous shipping liner.
The company has already secured bookings for 1,300 export containers and is helping farmers and manufacturers avoid losses caused by delays and lack of containers.
The NPA’s Managing Director/CEO, Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho, announced a fresh injection of $60 million in investments towards the establishment of eco-friendly ports developments.
This investment is expected to catalyze the Authority’s renewed orientation towards Nigerian content development, he said.
Dantsoho said the berthing of MV Ocean Dragon is a testament to the NPA’s relentless commitment towards deepening efficiencies required for maximizing Nigeria’s marine and blue economy potentials.
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