The M/V Adobia, a first class multi-purpose cargo shipping vessel wholly owned by a Ghanaian, was launched in Tema at the weekend.
The shipping vessel whose acquisition was financed by UniBank, would help expand Ghanaian markets and also work to support the country's economic growth.
Mr Felix Nyarko-Pong, Chief Executive Officer of UniBank Ghana Limited who spoke at the launching ceremony at Tema Harbour, said the Board and the Management of the Bank were committed to ensuring the steady growth and expansion of the vessel both within Ghana and beyond.
"Adobia is the first ever Ghanaian-owned vessel in the country", he said, adding that the Bank was ready to support more indigenous Ghanaian businesses, as well as foreign ones.
He advised the management of the new vessel to provide good leadership to motivate the entire staff to deliver to the expectation of all stakeholders of the company.
The proprietor of the vessel, Mr Stanley Ahoriu, said in an interview with the Ghana News Agency that about 40 Ghanaians were employed on board the ship.
He noted that the vessel provided excellent dynamic positioning capabilities and complied with all environmental standards.
Mr Peter Issaka Azuma, Director-General of the Ghana Maritime Authority (GMA) said the GMA over the years had encouraged the private sector to enter into the business of shipping, particularly coastal shipping, in order to fill the vacuum and effectively provide complementary services to global shipping lines which were mainly on long hauls.
He congratulated Mr Ahoriu, the owner of the ship for being the first Ghanaian to take the bold initiative.
He said it was important for the management of MV Adobia to forge a strategic alliance with other operators on the West Coast for enhanced viability through the provision of the feeder and distribution services.
Mr Azuma, called on the operators to maintain a high level of safety, integrity of the vessel and also respect all relevant statutory regulations during their operational period.
He gave the assurance that GMA would provide safe security services to all shipping companies in the country.