Dantsoho Backs Tinubu’s ‘Nigeria First’ as Nigerian-Owned Vessel Docks at Onne
Abubakar Dantsoho, Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), has restated the agency’s commitment to promoting indigenous ownership of shipping vessels in alignment with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s ‘Nigeria First’ policy.
Speaking during the maiden call of the wholly Nigerian-owned container vessel MV Ocean Dragon at the West African Container Terminal, Onne Port Complex, on Thursday, July 31, 2025, Dantsoho described the event as a major milestone.
“Apart from the high loading capacity of 349 TEUs and several other distinctive features of this vessel, we are fascinated that MV Ocean Dragon is wholly Nigerian, which speaks to the Renewed Hope ‘Nigeria First’ policy of His Excellency President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR and the Nigerian Ports Authority’s renewed orientation towards Nigerian content development,” he said.
Highlighting its regional capacity, Dantsoho noted that the vessel’s ability to move thousands of gross registered tonnages across African destinations within days aligns with international port standards on multimodalism and port-hinterland connectivity.
“This gives us great delight as it supports the rationale behind NPA’s simplified export processes through the Export Processing Terminals (EPTs), designed to link local producers in the hinterland to international demand centres,” he added.
He further emphasized that NPA’s port modernization project and ongoing reforms are designed to sustain an enabling business environment that has helped Nigeria record year-on-year trade surpluses.
With the expansion of external trade and a rise in Nigeria’s transshipment volumes—especially from the Lekki Deep Seaport—Dantsoho said the arrival of MV Ocean Dragon reinforces the notion that Nigeria’s business environment is improving.
He assured global investors of continued support, saying, “Under the supervision of the investor-friendly Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, His Excellency Adegboyega Oyetola, the NPA will keep galvanizing stakeholder efforts to promote ease of doing business and fully tap into Nigeria’s maritime endowments.”
Owned by Clarion Shipping West Africa Limited, MV Ocean Dragon is expected to operate across Nigeria and West African nations including Benin Republic, Togo, Ghana, Cameroon, Sierra Leone, Ivory Coast, Egypt, and South Africa. The vessel is designed to boost short-sea shipping, offering a viable alternative to road transport as NPA deepens efforts in multimodal logistics.
