Security & Safety
Clarion Shipping Launches Nigeria’s First Indigenous Container Vessel, Strengthens Regional Trade Links
In a groundbreaking move for Nigeria’s maritime sector, Clarion Shipping West Africa Limited has unveiled MV Clarion Ocean Dragon, the country’s first fully indigenous container vessel, marking a major stride in domestic shipping and regional trade integration.
Unveiled at the Five Star Logistics Terminal, Tin Can Island Port in Lagos, the 349-TEU capacity vessel is expected to revolutionize port-to-port cargo movement within Nigeria and across West Africa, offering a safer and more efficient alternative to road transport.
Clarion Shipping, which currently operates a fleet of two ocean-going and five coastal barges, described the newly acquired vessel as a game-changer for volume, speed, and safety in cargo delivery. The company projects a return on its investment within two years—pending favorable government support and policy implementation.
Speaking at the ceremony, Vice President of Clarion Shipping, Mrs. Bernadine Eloka, noted that the MV Ocean Dragon—crewed by over 70% Nigerians and captained by Indonesian Captain Deddy Febinyanto—was built in China and funded through Nigerian financial institutions despite the high cost of capital.
“Raising capital for a vessel in Nigeria is no joke,” Eloka remarked. “We didn’t get single-digit loans. But the banks saw the vision and supported us.”
Designed to serve both domestic and international trade corridors, the vessel will facilitate container shipping between major Nigerian ports and key destinations such as Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, Sierra Leone, Egypt, and South Africa. Bookings have already been confirmed for routes including Ghana, Algeria, and Lome.
To further consolidate its shipping capacity, Eloka announced the acquisition of a second, larger vessel—NB-778—co-owned with a Chinese partner, scheduled to depart Chengdao Port in China for Nigeria on July 27.
She emphasized that the initiative aligns with the Nigerian Coastal and Inland Shipping (Cabotage) Act, with the vessel fully Nigerian-flagged and operated. “We’ve fulfilled all requirements from NIMASA, NPA, NIWA, and Customs. What we now need is enforcement—Nigerian ships should carry Nigerian cargo,” she stated, calling on the government to reserve domestic container shipping for local operators.
Also speaking, Mr. Mustafa Muhammed, Managing Director of Clarion’s sister company, Suncity Terminal Logistics, highlighted the company’s end-to-end logistics network that bridges the gap between northern exporters and the ports. Through a combination of road and rail, Clarion has mobilized over 1,300 export containers, with 800 branded containers distributed across cities like Kano, Kaduna, Zaria, Yola, and Bauchi.
“Our model saves exporters millions. We provide the empty containers up north, get them filled there, and bring them down for export—cutting costs and reducing product spoilage,” Muhammed said.
He added that Clarion’s status as a government-recognized processing terminal allows for seamless movement of sealed containers directly from its depots to the port, bypassing bureaucratic delays. The company also operates warehouses with a combined storage capacity of 4,500 metric tons.
Looking ahead, Muhammed disclosed plans for the deployment of a higher-capacity feeder vessel capable of carrying up to 1,700 TEUs. The ship will ply regional shipping corridors between Lome, Abidjan, Accra, and Lagos, enhancing Clarion’s position in the West African trade ecosystem.
In an emotional moment, Ms. Ada Eloka, the recently appointed Managing Director of Clarion Shipping, recounted the challenges and triumphs that shaped the journey of the MV Ocean Dragon from China to Nigeria. Having taken office in January 2025, managing the acquisition and delivery of the vessel was her first major assignment.
“The ship departed China on April 17 and arrived on July 1. Seeing the video of its arrival brought me to tears—it was a culmination of countless challenges and unwavering determination,” she said.
She recalled major hurdles, including communication barriers between Nigerian and Chinese teams and a mid-voyage engine fault that forced the crew to return to Malaysia. “Despite the setbacks, we pressed on. Today is proof that the journey was worth it,” Eloka concluded.
Navy Nabs Three Stowaways Aboard Merchant Vessel Off Lagos Coast
By Okeoghene Onoriobe | Waterways News Reporter | April 21, 2026
The Nigerian Navy has apprehended three suspected stowaways found concealed aboard the merchant vessel MSC STELLA (IMO No. 9279988) in waters off the Lagos Fairway Buoy, in what authorities say reflects the service’s intensified drive to secure Nigeria’s maritime corridors and combat irregular migration by sea.
The interception was confirmed in an official statement released Monday in Abuja by the Director of Naval Information, Navy Captain Abiodun Folorunsho.
According to Folorunsho, the operation was executed by personnel of Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) BEECROFT, acting on credible intelligence received from the Western Regional Control Centre (WRCC) at approximately 5:05 pm on April 19. A Quick Response Team deployed from Tarkwa Bay successfully intercepted the suspects roughly five nautical miles off the Lagos coastline.
Preliminary investigations indicate the trio illegally boarded the vessel in the early hours of April 17 — around 1:00 am — while the ship was berthed at Tin Can Island Port, Lagos. The suspects have been identified as Aguru Michael, 27, a Benin Republic national; Soye Monday, 25, from Ondo State; and Kentobou Peter, 22, from Delta State. All three were reportedly attempting to reach Europe.
The naval spokesperson noted that the operation once again demonstrates the Nigerian Navy’s resolve to protect lives at sea and disrupt illegal migration through Nigeria’s waterways. He pointed to a string of recent search-and-rescue successes, including the rescue of seven people following a maritime collision in Bayelsa State, and the interception of three foreign stowaways aboard MT ANATOLIA just last month in March 2026.
The three suspects are currently being held at NNS BEECROFT and are undergoing investigation and administrative processing in accordance with applicable laws.
The Nigerian Navy reiterated its unwavering commitment to maritime safety, security, and continuous surveillance of Nigeria’s territorial waters.
Waterways News | Covering Nigeria’s Maritime Domain
EFCC, Customs Close Ranks to Choke Off Smuggling and Money Laundering at Nigeria’s Borders
By Okeoghene Onoriobe, Waterways News, Lagos April 15, 2026
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has thrown its weight behind its growing partnership with the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), signalling that the two agencies are tightening their joint grip on smuggling networks and financial crime operations feeding off Nigeria’s trade corridors.
Speaking during a high-level engagement in Kano, EFCC Acting Zonal Director Friday Ebelo said the collaboration is already yielding tangible results — illicit goods intercepted, funds recovered and high-profile suspects arrested. He credited the gains to a deliberate effort by both agencies to understand each other’s operational mandates and align their enforcement strategies.
“No single agency can combat cross-border crime alone,” Ebelo said, stressing that intelligence sharing and joint enforcement are essential to protecting national revenue and disrupting the financial networks that sustain organised criminal groups.
The visit was led by the Commandant of the Nigeria Customs Command and Staff College, Gaura, who brought students for an immersive look at how the EFCC conducts its operations. Gaura commended the Commission’s transparency and operational efficiency, noting that modern Customs work has long outgrown the border post — it now demands intelligence-led financial investigation skills that are built through exactly this kind of interagency exposure.
The engagement covered a lecture on interagency cooperation, interactive sessions on intelligence sharing and joint investigations, and a focused discussion on managing seized assets connected to currency smuggling and financial crimes.
For a country whose ports and waterways remain entry points for contraband — from petroleum products and narcotics to foreign currencies — the deepening of this EFCC-Customs alliance carries direct implications for maritime enforcement. Smuggling routes that exploit Nigeria’s coastline and inland waterways often rely on the same financial infrastructure that both agencies are now working to dismantle together.
Waterways News | waterwaysnews.ng
News
CUSTOMS BUSTS N1BN DRUG HAUL: Over One Million Tramadol Tablets, 10,000 Codeine Bottles Seized on Benin Highway
CUSTOMS BUSTS N1BN DRUG HAUL: Over One Million Tramadol Tablets, 10,000 Codeine Bottles Seized on Benin Highway
By Ighoyota Enaibre
Operatives of the Nigeria Customs Service Federal Operations Unit (FOU) Zone C, Owerri, have dealt a major blow to drug traffickers after intercepting a staggering consignment of illicit narcotics with a Duty Paid Value of over N1 billion along the Okada/Ofosu Expressway in Benin City, Edo State.
The bust, one of the largest single drug seizures recorded by the unit, yielded 1,025,000 tablets of Tramadol and 10,000 bottles of Barcadin Codeine Syrup (100ml each) — all smuggled inside a truck and cleverly concealed among legitimate goods to dodge detection.
Comptroller Bishir Balogun, who announced the seizure, confirmed that the operation was executed on March 15, 2026, driven by strategic intelligence and coordinated enforcement action.
When customs operatives flagged down the vehicle, the driver made a desperate bid to escape — briefly pulling over before abandoning the truck entirely and fleeing on foot into nearby bushland. A thorough search of the truck uncovered the drugs hidden within the cargo.
The total Duty Paid Value (DPV) of the seized consignment stands at N1,056,000,000.
Balogun stressed that the haul reflects the Service’s firm resolve to choke off the supply of controlled substances fuelling drug addiction and violent crime across Nigeria.
“Smugglers and criminal networks should know that the Nigeria Customs Service will not relent. We will continue to deploy intelligence-led strategies to protect public health and national security,” he warned.
The consignment remains in custody as investigations continue to track down and prosecute those behind the operation.
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