MD NPA, Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho officially receives Nigeria’s boxship, MV OCEAN DRAGON at WACT Terminal, Onne Ports Complex.

In a rather unique way, Managing Director/CEO of the Nigerian Ports Authority NPA, Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho has taken it upon himself and the management of the Authority to signpost President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s ‘Nigeria First’ policy in the shipping sector. The new policy seeks to promote indigenous participation in every segment of the country’s national life.

The Managing Director has restated the readiness of the NPA under his watch to promote the indigenous ownership of ocean going vessels in line with the ‘Nigeria First’ policy of the President.

MV OCEAN DRAGON at berth.

He gave this assurance when he spoke during the maiden call of a wholly Nigerian-owned container vessel “MV OCEAN DRAGON” at the West African Container Terminal WACT, located at the Onne Port Complex on Thursday 31st July, 2025.

Dantsoho said: “In addition to 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.”

According to him, the very fact that this vessel. which can move thousands of Gross Registered Tonnages GRT across African destinations within days, signposts the Nigeria’s commitment to the dictates of International Association for Ports and Harbours IAPH on multi-modalism and seamless 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) conceptualised to link local producers of value in the remotest hinterland to the farthest international centres of demand.

“I want to assure the global investment community that the Nigerian Ports Authority under the supervision of the investor-friendly Minister of Marine & Blue Economy His Excellency, Adegboyega Oyetola, will continue to galvanise stakeholder efforts to continuously promote the ease of doing business all in a concerted bid to optimise the rich blue economy inherent in our maritime endowments”, the MD said.

The vessel is scheduled to operate across West Africa and beyond, servicing ports in Nigeria, Benin Republic, Togo, Ghana, Cameroon, Sierra Leone, Ivory Coast, Egypt, South Africa.