Clarion Shipping, a subsidiary of Nigeria’s prominent logistics firm Clarion Group, has officially launched operations with the deployment of its first vessel, Ocean Dragon, marking its entry into the regional liner shipping market. The move is part of the company’s strategic effort to enhance maritime connectivity across West Africa.
The Ocean Dragon, a 349 twenty-foot equivalent unit (TEU) container ship, was acquired from China’s Qingdao Pengteng International Management and delivered, according to maritime intelligence provider Alphaliner. The vessel is expected to serve key Nigerian ports including Lekki, Port Harcourt, Calabar, and Onitsha, with plans to expand coverage to neighbouring countries such as Togo, Benin, and Ghana.
Clarion Shipping
Clarion Shipping is already preparing to scale up its operations with the planned acquisition of a second vessel a significantly larger 1,789 TEU ship. This vessel is expected to broaden the company’s service network, linking additional West African ports in Liberia, Togo, Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, and Nigeria.
Founded in 2006, the parent company Clarion Group operates seven port terminals in Nigeria five in Lagos and two in Onne and Onitsha and manages a fleet of inland waterway vessels comprising eight barges and four tugboats. The group’s entry into the container shipping sector is seen as a strategic move to boost regional trade, improve logistics efficiency, and reduce dependence on foreign liners.