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Clarion Shipping West Africa Limited has launched Nigeria’s first indigenous direct shipping service between China and Nigeria, introducing industry-first incentives such as; no container deposits, 21 days of free demurrage, and freight discounts of $500 and $300 on 40-foot and 20-foot containers respectively.
The Vice President of Clarion Shipping, Mrs. Bernardine Eloka, disclosed this during a stakeholders’ engagement with freight forwarders in Lagos, describing the initiative as a milestone for Nigeria’s maritime sector.
She noted that the removal of container deposits would ease financial pressure on importers by freeing up tied-down capital, while the extended demurrage period would reduce storage costs significantly.
Eloka added that the service would connect Nigeria directly to major Chinese ports, including Qingdao, Yiwu, Nanshan, Shanghai, and Ningbo, eliminating transshipment delays at foreign hubs.
Her words: “By abolishing container deposits, extending free demurrage, and offering freight reductions; we are creating a truly Nigerian-driven shipping experience that reduces costs, enhances efficiency, and empowers local businesses.”
She further reassured clearing agents that Clarion would continue to work with them rather than compete, stressing that collaboration with the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) was already in place.
Bookings, she said, are open with weekly sailings guaranteed.
Meanwhile, industry stakeholders hailed the development as unprecedented as the President General of the Association of Igbo Maritime Practitioners in Nigeria (ASIMPIN), HRM Eze Damian Obianigwe, described the feat as historic, noting that no individual had previously owned such a vessel in the industry.
“What men could not do, you have done. Nobody has owned such a ship in this industry before, but today a woman has done it,” he declared.
The Founder of NAGAFF, Dr. Boniface Aniebonam, situated the achievement within Nigeria’s shipping history, recalling the collapse of the Nigerian National Shipping Line (NNSL) and failed ship acquisition funds.
He remarked that Clarion’s move has corrected a historic imbalance, stating that; “foreign operators have dominated containerized shipping for decades. What Clarion is doing is returning capacity to Nigerians.”
Also speaking, Chief Chukwu Osita, National President of the Save Nigeria Freight Forwarders Coalition, said the initiative would bring relief to freight forwarders and the economy, urging government to recognize Clarion’s efforts with national honours.
Mr. Jibril Usman, who represented the Africa Professional Freight Forwarders and Logistics of Nigeria (APFFLON), commended Clarion’s incentive package as unprecedented in Nigeria’s shipping industry.
On his part, the General Secretary of NAGAFF, Mr. Godfrey Nwosu, described the berthing of Clarion’s vessel as a “game-changer,” stressing that it signals a new dawn for indigenous operators in Nigeria’s maritime space.
