Clarion Shipping unveils MV Ocean Dragon to Lagos importers, freight forwarders

By Enyeribe Anyanwu

Clarion Shipping West Africa Ltd Tuesday presented “MV Ocean Dragon”, the first wholly owned indigenous merchant vessel to Nigerian importers and freight forwarders in Lagos. The ship arrived Nigeria on July 3, 2025 and berthed at Calabar and has made voyages to Port Harcourt and Onne ports before arriving at the Five Star Logistics, Tin Can Island Port, Lagos.

Unveiling the ship to the freight forwarders and importers of mainly Igbo extraction at Villa Park Hotel, Amuwo Odofin, Lagos, the Vice-Chairman, Clarion Shipping West Africa Limited, Mrs. Benardine Eloka reiterated the logistics company ventured into shipping with the acquisition of Ocean Dragon because of its vision to solve the lingering problems in the country’s shipping and logistics value chain.

She said MV Ocean Dragon is primed to service local markets and the African region, offering direct shipment from China to local and continental ports, thereby cutting off delays usually experienced in transshipments, as well as the risks associated with road transportation.

She urged the stakeholders to embrace the efforts in the continent to promote made-in Africa products, saying that one of the objectives of bringing Ocean Dragon was to move made-in-Nigeria products to other African countries.

She disclosed that many Nigerian traders across the country have already made bookings to move their made-in-Nigeria products from Nigeria to Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire.

“We know that we have most of the importers and exporters here. If your container lands in Lome, we know the transit time is usually long. Ocean Dragon will be right there to pick them. Instead of leaving them there for weeks Ocean Dragon can under very few hours go to Lome and bring them to Nigeria.”

Mrs. Eloka hinted that the company will soon bring in a bigger vessel in partnership with a Chinese firm, which will operate from China on direct voyage to Nigeria, cutting off transshipment. “Once you make your booking, your container comes directly to you in Nigeria.”

Meanwhile, she said Clarion has collaboration with most of the shipping lines operating in Nigeria, such as MSC, CMA CGM, PIL, and Maerskline, saying that anyone that makes a direct booking from China to Nigeria at the moment, “we will send the containers to you. We just put it in any of the vessels that is coming to Nigeria immediately, pending the time our own vessel will begin to load which is scheduled to start from the beginning of next month which is the month of October.”

“It is our joy that we are able to bring this solution to our people of Nigeria –the importers and exporters, and we are happy that you support this dream and have given us your word that you will sensitize other people for the dream to see the light of day.  With your support and patronage we shall bring that solution which is much expected,” Mrs. Eloka said.

Explaining further, the Regional Manager South East Nigeria, Mr. Solomon Ogudo, said the company offers complete services which are modelled in a way that is tailored to bring solution to the Nigerian maritime industry and beyond, with local innovation.

“Ocean Dragon was a deliberate effort that we have put together for over ten years to solve the logistics problems within Nigerian maritime industry. Lagos might be a bit off the challenges we’re facing, but if you look down the South East and the South South, you’ll know that there is are major issues and problems within the industry.

He said the company has achieved remarkable milestones as terminal operator, shipping agent, in hauling services and barge operations.

“In the industry, Clarion Terminal was the first to have a RoRo licence in Nigeria. We are also the first terminal to operate in Anambra, an off-dock terminal, connecting Anambra and the whole of South East to the major ports through our transire arrangement, bringing containers from Lagos and Onne to serve Anambra and the whole of the South East,” he said.

Ogudo said Clarion had partnered with major shipping lines while growing up, focusing on the berth services. “We partnered with Maersk and Cosco to move containers to different parts of Africa, and within that period of time, we were able to move over 200,000 TEUs of containers from Nigeria to different parts of Africa. And this is what has given birth to what we are celebrating today –the first owned indigenous shipping container vessel in Nigeria.”

Explaining further on Clarion services, he said “When you ship with other shipping lines, their major interest is to drop you at the major ports, but if you ship with us, especially from China, you have the benefit of taking your delivery from your preferred destination or location because we have partnership with major players in the industry like in Kano we have partnership with Dana Port servicing the northern market, in Calabar, we have partnership with Ecomarine, in Onne we have partnership with West African Container Terminal (WACT), and partnerships in other places, and even with shipping lines. We don’t bother you with container deposits, like other shipping lines.”

Speaking at the event, Dr. Boniface Aniebonam, the Founder of NAGAFF, said Clarion has decided to add value to the business of importers, exporters and freight forwarders by venturing into shipping which is a mafia business with its obstructions and challenges. He urged the importers and freight forwarders to patronize Clarion as their own shipping line.

“We don’t need to bother about forex, your freight can be paid in Nigeria. It’s a matter of you shipping your cargo and you pay in naira here. No need of taking the risks, she’s taken off that, which you cannot get in other shipping lines. She’s also in a very big position to assist all of us. See how other companies are charging us war risk insurance charges when we are not at war. Clarion will not do that.”

“What Clarion has done will save us the trouble we face with seizures and interceptions of our containers that have been cleared by customs at the ports,” he told his fellow kinsmen.

On behalf of the freight forwarders, importers and the trade groups, he pledged cooperation with Clarion.  “I think we’ve all agreed that Clarion is the way to go,” he declared to the approval and applause of all.