Business and Economy
First Nigerian-Owned Container Ship Begins Operations, Boosts Intra-African Trade and Maritime Investment
By our Correspondent
In a significant milestone for Nigeria’s maritime sector, the country’s first wholly Nigerian-owned container vessel, MV Ocean Dragon, berthed at a Nigerian port on Wednesday, July 2, 2025.
Owned by Clarion Shipping West Africa Limited, the vessel—registered with the International Maritime Organization (IMO) number 9508770—has a capacity of 349 Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units (TEUs). The vessel’s arrival marks a major step in promoting coastal shipping as a cost-effective, time-saving alternative to road transport, especially for moving cargoes across Nigeria and within the West African sub-region.
MV Ocean Dragon is expected to service a wide range of ports including those in Nigeria, Benin Republic, Togo, Ghana, Cameroon, Sierra Leone, Ivory Coast, Egypt, and South Africa. Clarion Shipping has already begun receiving expressions of interest from businesses eager to leverage the vessel’s regional trade capacity.
Managing Director/CEO of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Abubakar Dantsoho, described the development as a bold indicator of Nigeria’s readiness to harness the benefits of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
“This achievement reflects our unwavering drive to optimize marine and blue economy resources,” Dantsoho said. “It is in line with the vision of the Honourable Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, whose leadership has led to the recent Federal Executive Council approval of the national policy on Marine and Blue Economy.”
Vice President of Clarion Shipping West Africa, Bernadine Eloka, noted that the acquisition of MV Ocean Dragon was a strategic response to the challenges of inland cargo transport in Nigeria.
“Rather than moving containers from Lekki to Onitsha or Calabar by road, this vessel enables us to move up to 349 containers via sea and deliver port-to-port within two days,” she explained. “This approach not only reduces risk but also enhances the efficiency of regional trade under AfCFTA.”
Eloka added that Clarion Group is committed to expanding intra-African shipping services and creating new business opportunities across West African ports.
Also speaking, the Managing Director of Clarion Suncity Terminal Logistics Limited, Mustafa Mohammed, emphasized the company’s readiness to compete with global shipping giants like Maersk and MSC.
He said Clarion’s local presence and focus on supporting Nigerian exporters—particularly those in landlocked regions—positions the company as a key player in reshaping the shipping industry. According to him, Clarion has already secured bookings for 1,300 export containers and is helping agricultural producers and manufacturers avoid losses due to container shortages and transport delays.
This development comes as the NPA prepares to inject $60 million into eco-friendly port projects, reflecting a broader strategy to deepen Nigerian content participation in maritime infrastructure and logistics.