Able to sail: CEO, Caverton Offshore Help Group, Olabode Makanjuola (center) surrounded by the members of employees—throughout Demo week of Nigeria’s First Electrical Ferry – Electrical OMIBUS Stakeholder Engagement, held on the Caverton Helipad Jetty, Ozumba Mbadiwe, Victoria Island, Lagos on Monday November twenty fourth, 2025
…electrical Ferries: Caverton is Electrifying Nigeria’s Inland Waterways
In what many described as a recreation changer within the historical past of inland waterways in Nigeria, Caverton Marine, proudly indigenous firm broke the jinx when it introduced the official demonstration of its pioneering electrical vessel, the Electrical OMIBUS. This marks a big milestone in Nigeria’s pursuit of sustainable, zero-emission marine and inland water transportation. On Monday November twenty fourth, the media had been invited to witness the reside technical demonstration alongside senior authorities officers and institutional leaders throughout Demo Week Omibus Sea Trial held on the firm’s Company Headquarters situated in Victoria Island, Lagos. This little question a momentous step towards a cleaner, extra environment friendly transportation community for Nigeria
The longer term berths in Lagos, first metropolis in Africa
The boldness was unshakable. The historic transfer being made behind the Victoria Island part of the Lagos Lagoon has paid off. After 13 months of intensive travelling to convey never-before-seen innovation to the African continent, the workforce heaved an indication of accomplishment, as the primary electrical ferry sailed throughout Lagos waters. One might really feel the sense of accomplishment of a visioner and Chief Government Officer of Caverton Offshore Help Group, Mr. Olabode Makanjuola who, alongside along with his devoted and dedicated workforce, has birthed the imaginative and prescient in collaboration with ever supportive authorities of Lagos State underneath Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu.
The Electrical OMIBUS is a passenger ferry designed to function totally on electrical propulsion, eliminating carbon emissions and considerably lowering operational noise and upkeep prices in comparison with conventional diesel-powered ferries. Caverton Marine’s Omibus (100 % Electrical) is now set to energy Nigeria’s Inland Waterways.
The brand new innovation got here with an in-depth overview of the vessel’s expertise, battery administration system, and operational benefits. It is a momentous step towards a cleaner, extra environment friendly transportation community for Nigeria. The Built-in Electrical Propulsion of electrical ferries had been constructed for native waters. The prototype combines a Caverton-built FRP passenger hull with a contemporary electrical propulsion package deal equipped by Explomar. For a brand new innovation, how does it work? It really works with twin electrical motors which give sturdy acceleration and high-speed efficiency, powered by a modular lithium battery pack with a sturdy BMS and inverter system.
Why Electrical ferry?
Electrical ferry operations meaningfully change the economics of water transport. Whereas electrical techniques require larger upfront funding, they eradicate gas consumption, scale back mechanical upkeep, and enhance operational reliability by eradicating engines, exhaust techniques, and gearboxes. These design modifications additionally scale back the chance of onboard hearth and fuel-related hazards. Early modelling reveals the potential for main reductions in annual working expenditure and a considerable reduce in carbon emissions in comparison with petrol ferries. These outcomes align immediately with Lagos State’s targets for safer mobility, local weather resilience, and long-term price financial savings.
Caverton executed all integration and techniques routing domestically to make sure ease of upkeep and dependable scaling. The configuration displays actual Lagos route patterns – short-to-medium distances with predictable charging home windows – making this platform superb for metropolitan water transport.
Historic step towards sustainability
With the newest growth, Caverton Marine has taken a historic step towards sustainable transportation in Nigeria with the revealing of the Omibus, the nation’s first domestically produced electrical ferry. In collaboration with the Lagos State Authorities, Caverton Marine developed the boats in partnership with ExploMar (Suzhou) Power Expertise Co. Ltd, an organization which produces high-power electrical outboard techniques in China following the signing of a strategic partnership in August 2024.
The initiative, which marks a watershed second in Africa’s transition towards clear mobility and safer water transportation and a “Demo Week” opened on Monday, November 24, 2025 at Falomo Jetty in Lagos, anticipated to convey collectively stakeholders from authorities, the marine trade, vitality expertise corporations, the media, and transportation specialists.
The target of the stakeholder engagement periods is to showcase the totally electrical ferry, conduct reside demonstration cruises, and supply first-hand perception into the expertise powering what could quickly change into the way forward for aquatic mobility in Nigeria.
Welcoming friends and journalists to the occasion, Mr. Bode Makanjuola, CEO of Caverton Marine, mentioned, “It’s the demo week for the Omibus Electrical Ferry, the primary of its sort in Africa. We’re significantly very proud as a result of this can be a Nigerian initiative with help from our pals from China. It is a Nigerian undertaking, and it’s one thing that Nigerians must be happy with. The Omibus journey began about six years in the past, mainly in attempting to deal with the challenges of water transportation in Lagos State, and usually see how we are able to enhance the lives of common Lagosians by way of commuting. We had been set to activity, and we determined to develop our first-ever 40-passenger electrical ferry.
“Upon profitable development of that ferry, we had been commissioned by the Lagos State Authorities to construct 25 ferries, of which 15 have already been delivered and are operational proper now. Really, when you look throughout to the Famolo Ferry Terminal, you’ll see a few of these ferries lined up there. Right this moment isn’t the time for lengthy speeches; we’ve a pleasant presentation for you. As a pal mentioned, it’s a case of see, hear, really feel. Once you go on the market, you get to see the Omibus and expertise it. You’ll not hear the sound of the electrical engine, which, so far as I’m involved, is the way forward for mobility in Nigeria. Electrification isn’t sustainability; it’s part of sustainability and one thing we’re very keen about at Caverton Marine.”
Knowledge behind the transportation dynamics in Lagos
The Caverton Marine’s stance is backed by information displaying that Lagos has no less than 21.8m passengers shifting round yearly, which results in a chaotic transportation system and visitors challenges in a fancy mega metropolis like Lagos. Nonetheless, the common 4 hours Lagosians spend commuting a distance of about 80 km by street might be lined in lower than 40 minutes by ferries on water.
In keeping with Makanjuola, who outlined the undertaking’s three-year journey, starting with Lagos State’s dedication to enhancing water transportation as a substitute for congested street networks, the session was the primary in a collection of 10 demo periods via which journalists, marine specialists, regulators, traders, amongst others, can be taken via the Omibus expertise.
In his remarks, Professor Busayo Fakinlede, Senior Particular Assistant to the President on Marine and Blue Financial system, counseled Caverton Marine for the feat, noting that it underscores the corporate’s forward-looking credentials. “It’s a very massive achievement to have the ability to transfer from rickety boats plying the waterways into extra sustainable and extra steady boats, fibre-reinforced plastic electrical boats. It is a nice leap, and it’s the form of initiative that the Minister of Marine & Blue Financial system, His Excellency, Mr. Gboyega Oyetola, CON, has all the time championed within the sector. The ministry will proceed to help such laudable techniques that can result in eradicating each mishaps within the nation, and likewise, that is what we speak about with regards to zero emissions. That is a part of that growth; the minister is not only advocating for maritime infrastructural growth however for water transportation in a sustainable and reasonably priced means,” he acknowledged.
Integrating Sanwo-Olu’s THEMES Agenda
Talking additional, Makanjuola added, “We’re a marine and aviation logistics firm, and I’ve all the time been very keen about water transportation. For the Lagos State Authorities, it’s a part of the THEMES Agenda, creating intermodal transportation, and we see water transportation as the ultimate leg or the ultimate piece of the puzzle. It’s a journey that we’ve been on for a very long time. In reality, we’ve been engaged on it for 5 – 6 years. And altogether, we even labored with administrations going all the best way again to His Excellency, President Bola Tinubu’s administration as Lagos State governor. We’ve got been working to modernise water transportation to make it protected for Lagosians.
“So, when the administration of Babajide Sanwo-Olu got here they usually had been pushing this intermodal system with the rail networks, we took it upon ourselves that we wanted to truly increase the bar for water transportation and really now see how we are able to present higher, safer and extra respectable water transportation system in Lagos.”
In keeping with Kunmi Agbaje, the Challenge Supervisor, the scheme is constructed on what he known as intentional engineering, which ensures honest distribution of weight for the ferries whereas prioritising security, consolation and the atmosphere.
Low Engine Noise, Environmentally-friendly
“I all the time begin with what I discovered to be very pleasing concerning the ferry. The electrical ferry comes with low engine noise, which suggests passengers can even have cellphone calls on their solution to work. One other benefit is the way it eliminates pilfering, which is usually the case with among the native operators. They inform their bosses they’re shopping for 50 litres however solely 30 litres, which isn’t attainable with an electrical engine. Clearly, there are additionally points concerning sustainability, price financial savings, which suggests upkeep for electrical automobiles is means decrease over the course of 10 years, in comparison with petrol. So, you may have a ferry with common velocity, appropriate for passengers and might cowl three hours, finally which means higher security, sooner expertise, but quieter expertise. Agbaje added that the ferry, a variation to a 30-seater as an alternative of a 40-seater as a result of weight, means lighter boats ultimately and reached 33 knots from sea trial whereas the battery weighs 750 kilos.
Additionally talking on the session, Jonathan Wang, the Government Director of Explomar, a Chinese language firm that builds engines for prime efficiency electrical boats, China confirmed three movies of boats the world over with the theme of driving high-performance electrical mobility worldwide.
In keeping with him, engines are constructed to final and might run for about three hours on one cost. To unravel the infrastructure drawback of charging, he added that there are totally different chargers of various specs, starting from 7KW to 120KW, with ferries put in with a sensible management and monitoring system much like trendy EV dashboards for real-time battery well being, route vary, and emergency alerts.
“We’re very honoured to be working with Caverton Marine concerning the chance to construct this primary electrical ferry in Africa and the partnership has attracted lots of consideration from different international locations throughout Africa. The electrical ferry is sweet for water transportation in Africa and we’re comfortable to be a part of the initiative.
Additionally current on the session had been officers from the Lagos State Debt Administration Workplace, Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Financial system, Federal Ministry of Defence and the Nigerian Content material Growth and Monitoring Board.
From design to meeting, the Omibus undertaking fashions what is feasible when indigenous shipbuilding functionality aligns with coverage help and worldwide expertise partnerships. The ferry is constructed at Caverton’s marine yard, led by veteran naval architect, Mohammed Ibrahim, who serves as Caverton Marine’s Basic Supervisor on Manufacturing.
Transitioning from gas engines to electrical propulsion required intensive redesign. The unique OMIBUS ferries carried 800-liter gas tanks, now changed by two 750-kg high-density battery packs, every delivering 125 kWh of unpolluted energy and shortly to be upgraded to 180 kWh.
Why Inland Waterways must be embraced
Lagos State, the industrial hub of Nigeria, is surrounded by water, thus the motion of commuters, items and providers are tough and manhours are misplaced each day in visitors. The infrastructure is insufficient, therefore the choice intervention between the Lagos State Authorities and the non-public sector akin to Caverton Marine in water transportation.
With 21.8m passengers yearly, the transfer is geared toward addressing the transportation and visitors challenges of a fancy mega metropolis like Lagos. It’s a undeniable fact that Lagosians spend a median of 4 hours commuting a distance of about 80 km by street whereas the identical distance might be lined in lower than 40 minutes by ferries on water.
This, in accordance with analysts, represents a big lack of over three and half hours sweating it out within the well-known Lagos visitors. In reality, Lagos, which is known as the financial nerve centre of Nigeria, has an enormous untapped potential within the water transport sector.
Knowledge by the Lagos State Waterways Authority (LASWA), together with the administration workforce of Caverton Marine’s boatyard, revealed that no fewer than 21, 887, 738 individuals travelled by way of the waterways in Lagos State final yr (2023), representing a 55.2% improve over the 2021 determine of 14,105,816.
Seeing it as a viable enterprise, the Lagos State Authorities entered right into a partnership with Caverton Marine to supply the boats domestically on the Badore Jetty in Lagos to spice up water transportation throughout the state. Addressing reporters in Lagos throughout a facility tour of the hub in February 2024, the Lagos State Commissioner for Transportation, Seun Osiyemi, mentioned the state authorities determined to associate with Caverton Marine to reinforce native boat manufacturing to sort out challenges within the state’s waterways and scale back the price of boat importation by 50% (backward integration).
The collaboration, the commissioner mentioned, contains the native development of 25 state-of-the-art ferries, every with a capability for 40 passengers every, to create a viable and environment friendly water transportation system that can change into an integral a part of the state’s transportation infrastructure. The Commissioner added that water transportation within the state and others has been stricken by quite a few boat mishaps, leading to roughly 900 lives misplaced in 2023. This has been attributed to the poor situation of the two,200 boats working on the waterways, 78% of that are reportedly not seaworthy, in accordance with authorities.
From fossil gas to electrical ferry, Caverton Marine is certainly altering water transportation in Lagos. The innovation is in alignment with the transportation imaginative and prescient of Gov. Sanwo-Olu’s administration in the direction of establishing another and sustainable mode of transport in Lagos with its well-liked slogan, “Let’s preserve Lagos shifting.”
