In a landmark achievement for Nigeria’s maritime industry, the MV Ocean Dragon, the country’s first fully Nigerian-owned container vessel, berthed at the Tin Can Island Port in Lagos on Wednesday, marking a strategic leap towards intra-African trade expansion and domestic shipping capacity.
Owned by Clarion Shipping West Africa Limited, the Panama-flagged vessel—acquired and rebranded under Nigerian ownership—is set to enhance short-sea shipping, foster regional trade connectivity, and deepen Nigeria’s participation in the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
Built in 2014 with a carrying capacity of 349 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs), the Ocean Dragon will provide a reliable maritime alternative to Nigeria’s road-dependent cargo system, drastically reducing transit times and opening trade routes within and beyond the West African subregion.
Speaking at the unveiling, Vice President of Clarion Shipping, Bernadine Eloka, said the vessel’s acquisition represents both a commercial and nationalistic stride aimed at reducing Nigeria’s dependency on foreign shipping lines while strengthening compliance with the Cabotage Law. This law reserves domestic maritime operations for vessels owned and operated by Nigerians.
“With Ocean Dragon, we are offering a bold alternative to the high-risk, inefficient road transport of containers. We can now move goods by sea from Lekki to Port Harcourt, Calabar, or Onitsha within two days. This is a game-changer for Nigerian logistics,” Eloka said.
She stressed that the vessel, which will operate across ports in Nigeria, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Cameroon, and as far as Egypt and South Africa, was registered in full compliance with the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Customs, and other regulators.
“We’re calling on the Federal Government to enforce the Cabotage regime more strictly to prioritize indigenous shipping liners like ours,” she added.
Mustafa Mohammed, Managing Director of Clarion Suncity Terminal Logistics Limited, revealed that Clarion is already gaining market traction, having secured bookings for 1,300 export containers, mainly from Nigerian agro-exporters and manufacturers.
Mohammed also disclosed plans to expand Clarion’s fleet with a second high-capacity feeder vessel of 1,780 TEUs. “Our next vessel will serve the entire West African corridor, linking ports from Liberia to Côte d’Ivoire. This is not just trade facilitation—it’s economic empowerment.”
He highlighted how Clarion aims to compete with global shipping giants like Maersk and MSC by investing in infrastructure and services tailored to Nigerian exporters—particularly those in underserved Northern regions.
Managing Director of Clarion Group, Adaeze Vanessa Eloka, recounted the rigorous journey of the Ocean Dragon from China to Nigeria, including technical setbacks that required a turnaround in Malaysia. Despite the odds, the ship arrived successfully—manned by a 70% Nigerian crew.
“We ensured that Nigerian seafarers, trained and ready, were flown to China to participate in the ship’s maiden voyage. This is part of our long-term plan to empower local talent and deepen national ownership in shipping,” she said.
The vessel’s arrival underscores Nigeria’s commitment to taking a leadership role in the implementation of AfCFTA, which promises to increase intra-African trade by over 50% in the coming years. By investing in local shipping capacity, Nigeria is poised to become a central logistics hub in the continent.
“This is diplomacy by commerce, strategy through logistics, and empowerment via trade,” said Eloka. “With the Ocean Dragon, we are not just moving goods—we’re moving Nigeria forward.”
Clarion’s initiatives align with President Bola Tinubu’s 4D foreign policy doctrine—Democracy, Development, Diaspora, and Demography—and contribute to Nigeria’s long-term goal of achieving full-scale maritime independence.