State-owned Nigerian National Petroleum Corp (NNPC) has inched forward the country's national tanker fleet project, with its recent introduction of a spot charter operation in London seen as a small step in that direction.

Shipping officials in the West African country have been discussing plans to establish a fleet of 20 MR product tankers and up to 10 suezmax crude tankers with the backing of the Nigerian government in the capital, Abuja.