Nigeria, Oct. 2 -- Global warming and rising sea surface temperatures are making the Northern Sea Route (NSR) connecting Asia with Europe via the Arctic increasingly commercially viable. The route was previously largely blocked by thick, hard-to-navigate ice.

On 15 August, the Dubai Tower container ship left China's Ningbo port, arriving at Britain's Teesport on 9 September. Part of a new seasonal container service between China and northern Europe, this shorter route - dubbed the Ice Silk Road - has advantages over the Suez Canal and Cape Route, with implications for Africa.

Although its long-term sustainability remains unclear, and the route may not be fully viable for year-round commercial shipping soon, the NSR's opportunities are o...