For the first time in Africa, Lagos State, the city of aquatic splendour, will host the E1 Electric Boat Race, unlocking economic potential, increasing tourism opportunities, and placing Lagos, Nigeria, on the world map as a hub for entertainment, sport, and business. Ayodeji Ake writes
The World’s First All-Electric Powerboat Championship
E1 GP, short for Electric 1 Grand Prix (E1 GP), is the world’s first all-electric powerboat racing series, designed to promote sustainability, innovation, and marine conservation through high-speed, competitive water sports. Launched in 2020, E1 GP was co-founded by Alejandro Agag, a renowned name in sustainable motorsport and founder of Formula E and Extreme E, alongside Rodi Basso, a former Formula 1 engineer and McLaren executive.
The championship features cutting-edge electric RaceBird boats, strategically scheduled for October 4 and 5, 2025, engineered to deliver exciting, zero-emission racing on water. E1 GP aims to revolutionise marine mobility while raising awareness about the health of the world’s waterways and oceans.
The series brings together world-class teams, athletes, and innovators, backed by global sporting icons and celebrities such as Rafael Nadal, Tom Brady, Didier Drogba, and Sergio Pérez, who own franchises in the series.
Lagos Joins the Global Calendar
As part of its global tour, Lagos, Nigeria, has officially been announced as one of the host cities for the 2025 E1 GP season, with the event set to take place in October 2025. This marks a historic milestone, as Lagos becomes the first African city to host an E1 GP race.
This development reflects E1’s commitment to inclusivity, global expansion, and the celebration of diverse waterfronts around the world. The Lagos leg of the championship is being organised in collaboration with key local partners, government agencies, and private sector stakeholders dedicated to positioning Lagos as a premier destination for sustainable innovation and international sporting events.
Key Benefits for Lagos
The benefits of the E1 race series to Lagos State include Tourism and global exposure as hosting E1 GP will place Lagos on the global sporting calendar, attracting thousands of local and international visitors, and boosting the hospitality, tourism, and entertainment sectors;
Economic opportunities and the event will create jobs and stimulate business for local vendors, artisans, logistics providers, and hospitality businesses; Environmental advocacy: Collaborating with local NGOs and authorities on waterfront and marine ecosystem conservation, raising awareness, and initiating clean-up campaigns across Lagos waterways;
Through Innovation and technology transfer, the ride will showcase cutting-edge electric propulsion technologies, offering Lagos an opportunity to explore partnerships in clean energy, e-mobility, and smart city development.
Also, in the area of Youth engagement and talent development, through educational outreach and community involvement, E1 GP aims to inspire the next generation of engineers, athletes, and environmental stewards.
Lagos Officials React
Addressing journalists at a recent media parley with the CEO of E1 GP, the Deputy Chief of Staff to the Governor of Lagos State, Samuel Egube, who also doubles as Chairman of the Local Organising Committee for the E1 Race Series, expressed enthusiasm that the race will unlock so much potential in Lagos State and boost the economy.
“It supports the idea that we are that city of aquatic splendour, and to get E1 Race here requires a lot of negotiation and manoeuvring. It presents our leadership as a businessman, and not just a political leader, but as a leader of enterprise. What this race will do is create an increment in our GDP, and present Lagos and Nigeria to the world. This is a global sport. It presents Lagos side by side with other cities around the world, like Miami, Doha, Monaco, etc. It presents Lagos as the driver of sustainability.
“The racers would be both male and female competing together. It sticks to sustainability because it is an electric race. This business is for our hotels, restaurants, nightclubs, etc. It flags out the series for ‘Detty December’. It tells the world that Lagos is ready for business and entertainment. We are a city that holds the entertainment capital of the world in terms of Afrobeats, which taught the world how to dance.
“We are the technology capital of Africa, and now we are bringing business, sport, and entertainment in one place. This is big for Lagos. We must thank the governor and the leadership of Lagos. Everybody would participate in the goodness this race is bringing to Lagos,” he said.
The Commissioner for Tourism, Mrs. Toke-Benson Awoyinka, stated that Lagos State waterways will be maximised to their full potential as the race will also unlock tourism opportunities for visiting countries.
“We are excited that for the first time in Africa, something great and magnanimous is happening on our waterways. For those still wondering what E1 is, it’s a race of electric boats on our waterways. It’s about sustainability and unlocking economic potential.
“As we know, fishermen are the primary users of our waterways, and we have also developed an aquatic culture of transportation on the water. However, with E1, it’s another dimension, encouraging people to explore our waterways. This is another groundbreaking event that will put us back on the world map,” she said during the quiz session.
Transport and the ‘Omi Eko’ Project
Commissioner for Transport, Mr. Oluwaseun Osiyemi, said that although there are a lot of programmes put in place by the Lagos State Government under the ‘Omi Eko’ programme to ensure the natural waterways are used for swift transportation, the E1 Race Series is an added advantage.
“We are currently on a project called ‘Omi Eko’, making the waterways exciting for people transport-wise. We all know that when people travel on waterways, they get a shorter journey to their destination safely. Today, we are doing a lot on our waterways. We are upgrading our jetties to electric jetties. These are boats people will love to get on. We are getting it right.
“‘Omi Eko’ is a waterways project we are currently on to get people on our water regularly. We are working on infrastructure, jetties, and bigger boats that can accommodate 60 to 100 people at a time, and are electric. It saves transportation costs. In transportation, 70 per cent of the operational cost is fuel. If you take that away, it reduces the operational cost, which automatically reduces the cost. We are doing a lot in the land and rail system, and now it’s the water,” he said.
The Global Perspective
Also engaging journalists, the Chief Executive Officer of E1 GP, Rodi Basso, spoke about the inspiration for the series and said the racing boats are electric-powered with zero emissions.
“Here are big expectations because we have been working very well with all our stakeholders, from the government to our company’s stakeholders, to let people know that a new event is happening. An event based on sport, inspiration, and diversity, with our male and female races. We come here to inspire and offer a show of celebration about the water, and also, our sustainability can be achieved with our very fast boats. We have big expectations and the participation of people. Our boat is about 1300 kilograms, 200 aux. Power, full electric, with no emissions,” he told journalists.
Also speaking, the Chairman of the Sponsorship and Fundraising Committee for the E1 Lagos Race, Mr. Osayaba Giwa-Osagie, who is also of Pan African Capital, said, “About 22 per cent of the 3,500 square kilometres of this state is water bodies. When you have that kind of natural resource, you have to put it to good use. It’s not just for social impact, vegetation, but also for economic purposes.
“Seeing what this administration has done with the coming of the E1 race is to put it into use. This will unlock some of the values that are hidden in our water channels. Lagos has the potential in terms of population, trade, and tourism. As it is, what we see in other countries that we appreciate is what we are bringing back home.”
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Hosting E1 GP will place Lagos on the global sporting calendar, attracting thousands of local and international visitors, and boosting the hospitality, tourism, and entertainment sectors…also in terms of economic opportunities, the event will create jobs and stimulate business for local vendors, artisans, logistics providers, and hospitality businesses
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