By AISHA COLE

A Nigeria-owned container shipping line, Clarion MV Ocean Dragon, has berthed at Tin Can Island Port in Lagos to transport cargo across the nation’s seaports.

Vice President of Clarion Shipping West Africa Ltd., Mrs Bernadine Eloka, confirmed this in a statement issued to journalists in Lagos on Friday.

Eloka said the ship would also serve West African trade routes and support the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) initiative.

She explained that the Panama-flagged vessel, acquired by Clarion Shipping West Africa Ltd., was built in 2014 with a capacity of 349 TEUs.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the vessel berthed at Tin Can Island Port, Lagos, on Thursday.

Eloka said the vessel would enhance short-sea shipping and operate on trade routes across Nigeria and West Africa.

It was built to offer an alternative to road transport and to promote intra-African trade.

The vessel will call at ports in Nigeria, Benin, Togo, Ghana, Cameroon, Sierra Leone, Ivory Coast, Egypt, South Africa, and other countries.

Eloka described the acquisition as a bold step to reduce dependence on high-risk road transport for cargo movement within Nigeria.

She said the ship would advance regional trade under AfCFTA and boost intra-African shipping.

“Nigeria’s oil rigs have risen to 44,” she added, citing the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC).

With Ocean Dragon operational, Clarion aims to provide efficient shipping while unlocking new business across West Africa.

She said, “We acquired Ocean Dragon to offer a reliable alternative to road-based container movement.

“Rather than struggling to move goods from Lekki to Onitsha, Port Harcourt, or Calabar by truck, we now use sea transport.”

According to her, the vessel can carry 349 containers, completing port-to-port delivery in just two days.

Eloka noted the acquisition also aligns with Nigeria’s Cabotage Law, which reserves domestic shipping for Nigerian-owned vessels.

She urged full enforcement of the Cabotage regime to boost local investment, create jobs, and reduce foreign dependence.

“We are Nigeria’s first fully indigenous container liner, complying with all regulatory bodies, including NIMASA, NPA, Customs and NIWA,” she said.

She appealed to the government to restrict foreign lines from shipping containers between Nigerian ports.

Managing Director of Clarion Suncity Terminal Logistics Ltd., Mr Mustafa Mohammed, said the company plans to rival global players like Maersk and MSC.

Mohammed said Clarion is investing in strategic assets to support Nigerian exporters and importers, especially in underserved northern regions.

He revealed the company has secured bookings for 1,300 export containers, reducing losses from delays and container shortages.

He also disclosed plans to expand its fleet with a new high-capacity vessel of 1,780 TEUs arriving in Nigeria soon.

The new ship, classified as a mother feeder vessel, will connect Liberia, Togo, Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, and Nigeria.

Mohammed said this initiative supports AfCFTA goals, addressing the lack of African-owned shipping vessels.

“With Clarion, cargo can now move from China to Lagos and then across West Africa efficiently,” he said.

He reaffirmed Clarion’s commitment to indigenous growth by using local containers, hiring Nigerians, and serving neglected markets.

Managing Director of Clarion Group, Adaeze Eloka, said Ocean Dragon sailed 60 days from China to Nigeria.

She described the acquisition process as challenging due to language barriers, technical issues, and an engine fault in Malaysia.

Adaeze said a proud feature of the project is the 70 per cent Nigerian seafarer crew onboard Ocean Dragon.

She added: “These seafarers were flown to China to join the ship on its maiden voyage.

“We want Nigerians to run this vessel. It’s time to give our seafarers the platform they deserve.” (NAN)