The air crackled with resolve, unshakeable, and unwavering. Behind the glimmering skyline of Victoria Island, beside the restless waters of Lagos Lagoon, history quietly shifted course. After thirteen months of tireless travel and innovation, a bold vision came to life: Caverton Offshore Support Group, came up with its first electric ferry, the OMIBUS, which sliced through the Lagos waters on its maiden voyage, carrying with it the weight of ambition, hope, and progress.
At the helm was the visionary leader of Caverton Marine, Bode Makanjuola, whose relentless dedication, alongside his team, transformed what once were dreams into a powerful, silent reality, thanks also to the steadfast backing of Lagos State Government under Babajide Sanwo-Olu.
The OMIBUS, 100per cent electric, emission-free, and whisper-quiet, is not just a ferry: it is a statement. A statement that Nigeria, and Africa, can leapfrog outdated systems and embrace a new era of clean, efficient, and sustainable transportation.
And as the ferry cut through the lagoon, gliding across the water with ease and purpose, one could sense more than just motion. It was a breakthrough — reverberating across the waterways, promising change for millions of commuters and signaling a bold new chapter in urban mobility.
The new innovation came with an in-depth overview of the vessel’s technology, battery management system, and operational advantages. This is a momentous step toward a cleaner, more efficient transportation network for Nigeria. The Integrated Electric Propulsion of electric ferries were built for local waters. The prototype combines a Caverton-built FRP passenger hull with a modern electric propulsion package supplied by Explomar.
It works with dual electric motors which provide strong acceleration and high-speed performance, powered by a modular lithium battery pack with a robust BMS and inverter system.
Speaking on the development before the maiden ride of the weeklong test-ride, the CEO of Caverton Marine, Mr. Bode Makanjuola, said: “It’s the demo week for the Omibus Electric Ferry, the first of its kind in Africa. We are particularly very proud because this is a Nigerian initiative with support from our friends from China.
This is a Nigerian project, and it’s something that Nigerians should be proud of. The Omibus journey started about ten years ago, basically in trying to address the challenges of water transportation in Lagos State, and generally see how we can improve the lives of average Lagosians in terms of commuting. We were set to task, and we decided to develop our first-ever 40-passenger electric ferry.
“We were commissioned by Lagos State government to build 25 ferries, of which 15 have been delivered and are operational right now. Actually, if you look across to the Famolo Ferry Terminal, you’ll see some of those ferries lined up there. Today is not the time for long speeches; we have a nice presentation for you. As a friend said, it’s a case of see, hear, feel. When you go out there, you get to see the Omibus and experience it. You will not hear the sound of the electric engine, which, as far as I’m concerned, is the future of mobility in Nigeria. Electrification is not sustainability; it’s a part of sustainability and something we are very passionate about at Caverton Marine.”
He outlined the project’s three-year journey, beginning with Lagos State’s commitment to enhancing water transportation as an alternative to congested road networks.
Makanjuola said: “We are a marine and aviation logistics company, and I have always been very passionate about water transportation. For the Lagos State government, it is part of the THEMES Agenda, creating intermodal transportation, and we see water transportation as the final leg or the final piece of the puzzle. It’s a journey that we’ve been on for a long time. In fact, we have been working on it for five or six years. And altogether, we even worked with administrations going all the way back to His Excellency, President Bola Tinubu’s administration as Lagos State governor. We have been working to modernise water transportation to make it safe for Lagosians.
“So, when the administration of Babajide Sanwo-Olu came and they were pushing this intermodal system with the rail networks, we took it upon ourselves that we needed to actually raise the bar for water transportation and actually now see how we can provide better, safer and more decent water transportation system in Lagos.”
In his remarks, Professor Busayo Fakinlede, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Marine and Blue Economy, commended Caverton Marine for the feat, noting that it underscores the company’s forward-looking credentials. “It is a very big achievement to be able to move from rickety boats plying the waterways into more sustainable and more stable boats, fibre-reinforced plastic electric boats. This is a great leap, and it is the kind of initiative that the Minister of Marine & Blue Economy, His Excellency, Mr. Gboyega Oyetola, CON, has always championed in the sector. The ministry will continue to support such laudable systems that will lead to eradicating both mishaps in the country, and also, this is what we talk about when it comes to zero emissions. This is part of that development; the minister is not just advocating for maritime infrastructural development but for water transportation in a sustainable and affordable way,” he stated.
According to the Project Manager, Kunmi Agbaje, the scheme is built on what he called intentional engineering, which ensures fair distribution of weight for the ferries while prioritising safety, comfort and the environment.
“I always start with what I found to be very pleasing about the ferry. The electric ferry comes with low engine noise, which means passengers can actually have phone calls on their way to work. Another advantage is how it eliminates pilfering, which is sometimes the case with some of the local operators. They tell their bosses they are buying 50 litres but only 30 litres, which is not possible with an electric engine. Obviously, there are also issues regarding sustainability, cost savings, which means maintenance for electric cars is way lower over the course of 10 years, compared to petrol. So, you have a ferry with regular speed, suitable for passengers and can cover three hours, ultimately meaning greater safety, faster experience, yet quieter experience. Agbaje added that the ferry, a variation to a 30-seater instead of a 40-seater due to the weight, means lighter boats in the end and reached 33 knots from sea trial while the battery weighs 750 kilos.
Also speaking at the session, Jonathan Wang, representative of Explomar, a Chinese company that builds engines for high performance electric boats, provided insight into some of the engineering system of engines driving electric ferries.
According to him, engines are built to last and can run for about three hours on one charge. To solve the infrastructure problem of charging, he added that there are different chargers of different specifications, ranging from 7KW to 120KW, with ferries installed with a smart control and monitoring system similar to modern EV dashboards for real-time battery health, route range, and emergency alerts.
“We are very honoured to be working with Caverton Marine regarding the opportunity to build this first electric ferry in Africa and the partnership has attracted a lot of attention from other countries across Africa. The electric ferry is good for water transportation in Africa and we are happy to be part of the initiative.”
Also present at the session were officials from the Lagos State Debt Management Office, Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, Federal Ministry of Defence and the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board.
From design to assembly, the Omibus project models what is possible when indigenous shipbuilding capability aligns with policy support and international technology partnerships. Transitioning from fuel engines to electric propulsion required extensive redesign. The original OMIBUS ferries carried 800-liter fuel tanks, now replaced by two 750-kg high-density battery packs, each delivering 125 kWh of clean power and soon to be upgraded to 180 kWh.
