Managing Director Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA); Abubakar Dantsoho has restated the readiness of the NPA to promote the indigenous ownership of vessels in line with the ‘Nigeria First’ policy of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu
Speaking during the maiden call of wholly-owned Nigerian container vessel “MV OCEAN DRAGON” at the West African Container Terminal Onne Port Port Complex on Thursday, Dantsoho said “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”.
Speaking further, Dantsoho opined that “the very fact that this vessel which can move thousands of Gross Registered Tonnages 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) conceptualized 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 galvanize stakeholder efforts to continuously promote the ease of doing business all in a concerted bid to optimize the rich blue economy inherent in our maritime endowments”.
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.
