In a bold stride toward maritime independence, the Save Nigeria Freight Forwarders, Importers & Exporters Coalition (SNFFIEC) is throwing its full support behind Nigeria’s first indigenous container vessel, MV Ocean Dragon, owned by Clarion Shipping West Africa Limited.
To mark this milestone, SNFFIEC will host a high-impact roadshow on Tuesday, 7th October 2025, starting at 9:30 AM from Nnewi Building, Creek Road, Apapa, and moving through Wharf Road, Barracks, and surrounding streets.
The National Coordinator of the group, Chief Osita Chukwu PhD, KSJI, stressed that SNFFIEC is proud of the unveiling of the vessel and the mouth-watering incentives offered shippers by the owners and operators of the vessel.
According to Chief Osita Chukwu, clients of the shipping company will no longer pay demurrage as 21 days of free storage, waived container deposits, and 24-hour inland clearance await them. The Vice President of the shipping company, Mrs. Benardine Eloka had also announced at the unveiling of the vessel that $500 discount await every 40-foot container and $300 discount on each 20-foot container.
Chief Chukwu praised Clarion Shipping’s achievement as a breakthrough for Nigeria’s logistics sector. He described the vessel as not just a ship but a symbol of economic empowerment. He added that the incentives offered will drastically cut shipping costs and reduce the price of goods nationwide.
The roadshow aims to raise awareness among importers and exporters, spotlighting the economic and strategic benefits of supporting indigenous shipping solutions. Members of SNFFIEC and a section of maritime journalists will join the procession to amplify the message.
Mrs. Eloka had at the vessel’s unveiling emphasized that MV Ocean Dragon is designed to restore confidence in Nigerian trade and offer practical solutions to long-standing logistics challenges.
She noted that the incentives offered aim to ease financial pressure on importers and exporters while promoting indigenous shipping solutions.
Eloka emphasized that the unveiling represents more than a new vessel—it’s a strategic solution to long-standing logistics challenges, adding that the company wants to restore confidence in Nigerian trade and offer practical alternatives to costly transshipment delays.
This first indigenous container vessel in Nigeria, MV Ocean Dragon is a 349 TEU (twenty-foot equivalent unit) container vessel which arrived in Lagos in July 2025 and is designed to boost coastal and regional trade within West Africa, providing a more efficient alternative to road transport for moving containers.
The vessel has already completed domestic runs between Calabar and Port Harcourt and will begin direct sailings to China this October, eliminating the need for third-party transshipment hubs. The vessel will also support exports to African markets, with traders from Abuja, Calabar, and other regions already securing bookings.