NPA Deploys Advanced Marine Crafts to Berth First Fully Nigerian-Owned Container Vessel, Boosting AfCFTA Trade

Advertisements

The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) announced on Friday the deployment of its state-of-the-art marine crafts to berth Nigeria’s first wholly-owned container vessel, marking a significant milestone in the country’s efforts to leverage the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

The vessel, MV Ocean Dragon (IMO number 9508770), owned by Clarion Shipping West Africa Limited, has a capacity of 349 Twenty-Foot-Equivalent Units (TEUs). It represents a major investment in short-sea shipping, offering a faster and more cost-effective alternative to road transport for in-country and regional maritime trade routes across Nigeria and West Africa.

MV Ocean Dragon is set to operate across multiple ports in Nigeria, Benin Republic, Togo, Ghana, Cameroon, Sierra Leone, Ivory Coast, Egypt, and South Africa, with strong business interest already expressed.

NPA Managing Director/CEO, Abubakar Dantsoho, hailed the achievement as a reflection of Nigeria’s commitment to harnessing its marine and blue economy potential, in line with the vision of the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola.

He noted that this aligns with the recent Federal Executive Council (FEC) approval of the National Policy on Marine and Blue Economy.

Bernadine Eloka, Vice President of Clarion Shipping West Africa Limited, described the vessel acquisition as a strategic move to reduce reliance on high-risk road transport for cargo movement and to enhance regional trade under AfCFTA.

She emphasized Clarion Group’s goal to expand efficient intra-African shipping services while unlocking new business opportunities across key West and Central African ports.

This development underscores Nigeria’s readiness to capitalize on AfCFTA’s trade benefits while strengthening its maritime logistics sector.

About The Author

Dele Fashomi

Dele Fashomi, seasoned journalist and communication teacher, is a holder of Master of Arts degree in Communication and Language Arts from the University of Ibadan in 1992/93.

Earlier, he had bagged a Bachelor degree from the same university in 1984, after which he proceeded to the Nigerian Institute of Journalism, Lagos, in 1990, for a postgraduate diploma in Journalism.

He had done many courses in communication, including the EU-BBC Editing Course in 2002.

Mr. Fashomi combines effectively the practice, research and teaching of communication. And to date, he has published two academic works in communication: Issues in Communication Technology and Policy (2010) and Economic and Social Issues in Advertising and PR (2013).

He had his first break in the Nigerian media in Concord Newspapers in 1990 and today, he has over two and half decades experience earned in several newspapers.

He has been part of many start-ups, such as The Republic (1987), The Comet (1999), The Anchor 2001 – 2002; Sun Newspapers (2003); Westerner newsmagazine (2005 – 2010) as Editor; National Life (2011) as Sunday Editor, and Newswatch Newspapers (2012- 2016) as Daily Editor.

Dele Fashomi is now the Publisher/Editor-in-Chief of Newstide247.com newspaper online, which he started in July 2015. He is also into biography writing, with many books in his trail, some of which he wrote alone and one he co- authored with his mentor, Mr Dare Babarinsa, entitled: Olabiyi Durojaiye – DARE TO BE DiFFERENT. He also guided and collaborated with Pa Olatunji Odusanya in writing his autobiography – AGAINST ALL ODDS. There are many other books in the works under his pen.

See author's posts