The coastal splendour of Lagos State and its tourist attractions have been identified as part of the major determinants that placed it ahead of other coastal cities in Africa to become the first to host the E1 World Championship on the continent.
Lagos is reputed as an aquatic environment filled with water bodies and wetlands covering over 40 per cent of the state’s total land area, with lagoons and creeks alone making up 22 per cent of its area.
The state is believed to cover 186 kilometres of coastal area, making it one of the prominent coastal cities in Africa alongside Cape Town, Durban (South Africa), Abidjan (Ivory Coast), Luanda (Angola), Dar es Salaam (Tanzania), Alexandria (Egypt), and Accra (Ghana).
Despite the potential of the coastal areas to spur the blue economy, the state is also prone to flooding whenever it rains heavily.
However, the state became a cynosure of all eyes during the weekend, gaining global spotlight and recording history as the first city in Africa to host the World Electric Powerboat Championship.
The championship brought to life activities on the state’s waterway, witnessing thrilling contests among the nine global teams – Team Drogba, Team Rafa, Westbrook Racing Team, Aoki Racing Team, Blue Rising Team, Team AlUla, Team Miami, Team Brady, and Team Mexico – that battled for supremacy at the Victoria Island Lagoon.
The nine teams with two pilots each, totalling 18, competed at an average temperature of 19 degrees centigrade within a circuit of 7537km, stirring with determination inside their cockpits to end their race at a good time to give them an advantage in the scoring point.
While the pilots were poised with the pressure to beat against the wind on the water, the event was mixed with cultural display and entertainment as there was a musical band group singing, beating the drums and dancing to the tune of the songs to welcome the personalities with VIP tickets.
What is the E1 World Championship about?
E1 is the world’s first and only all-electric raceboat championship sanctioned by the Union Internationale Motonautique (UIM), the international governing body for powerboating activities.
According to Rodi Basso, founder and Chief Executive Officer of E1, the UIM E1 World Championship presented by PIF was established to create a new, exciting and competitive on-water racing Championship, using electric technologies to focus efforts on innovations that help protect and restore urban waters and coastal areas.
He added that teams feature both a male and female pilot, racing on the water in iconic cities around the world, listing the cities which have hosted the championship to include Jeddah, Doha, Monaco, and Miami.
‘The teams are owned by some of the biggest names on the planet. These already include Will Smith, Marc Anthony and Steve Aoki from the world of entertainment, LeBron James, Rafael Nadal, Tom Brady, Virat Kohli and Didier Drogba from the world of sport and Marcelo Claure from the world of business,’ he said.
Drogba, Afreximbank push E1 Powerboat racing to Lagos
Basso disclosed that former Ivory Coast striker, Didier Drogba, Afreximbank and Lilium Group began the conversation to bring the championship to Africa, particularly Lagos from 2023, describing it as the drive that fostered the championship to the continent.
‘These guys are talented. Didier Drogba stopped a war. We are not talking about someone who is selling carpets, as we say in Italy. We are talking about a man who has changed the destiny of the country, and if this man comes to me and says, I want to race in Africa, for me, it’s a blessing.
‘So, we started two years ago, and then we took on board Afeximbank. Then we involved Simon Tientoret, who is the chairman and founder of Lilium Group and Vista Capital, and together we found the resources to be here (Lagos).
‘We came to speak to the state government, which has been incredibly helpful in making this happen. We would never have made it to have a race of this quality without their support. In terms of permission, finding the way, and the place. It was really one team,’ he said.
‘E1 Powerboat racing can unlock $2trn via blue economy’
Basso stressed that the sport embodies the potential to unlock $2 trillion through the blue economy for the state, saying that the potential of coastal areas in the state is yet untapped.
‘Blue economy is something that I am discovering while developing E1. There is a potential economy of $2 trillion in the blue economy. This means that for the first time, maybe in history, it is combining business and positive impact,’ he said.
He added that it will create job opportunities and improve the coastal areas through innovation and technology.
‘So, it’s a huge opportunity because this means jobs. This means better coastal areas, better water conditions through science and engineering.
‘So, E1 is about protecting and celebrating the coastal areas like rivers, lakes, oceans. We know that there is an issue. We know that there is a gap in the marine industry for the sustainability and the water mobility of the future, and we come with a boat that is a symbol of responsibility through three factors: zero emission, so our boat doesn’t make any emissions because it’s fully electric.
‘We use foils, and foils don’t generate waves. You can see when the boat will be running, there is a spray, but there are no waves or very little waves and waves are very critical for the coastal area erosion and then we reduce by 80% the acoustic noise compared to a thermal engine,’ he said.
Senegal, Cote d’Ivoire may host next E1 in Africa
Basso disclosed that there is an ongoing conversation to host the championship on the continent in Senegal, saying that a potential sponsor in Europe has shown interest in sponsoring it.
‘I have been told by my commercial director that there is someone from Europe who is interested in sponsoring us, but they said they are interested in Senegal,’ he said.
He stressed the possibility of hosting the championship in the Ivory Coast if considered.
‘I would love to race also elsewhere in Africa. There are so many countries undergoing a big evolution as well. I just mentioned a few; I may forget some, but Rwanda is interesting, Egypt, Morocco, Angola, and South Africa. Well, we have Didier from the Ivory Coast, so I’m sure at a certain point we may consider this, but I mean, we are very open and very interested in more races in this country,’ Basso said.
He expressed readiness to host the championship in Lagos next year, attributing it to the economic potential the state offers.
‘Well, I hope and I think we will be back next year, racing in Lagos, and I may show up earlier than that, let’s put it this way, personally, for more business and more conversation happening,’ he said.
He revealed that there is ongoing negotiation by a Nigerian to own a team, saying that a team requires a license to operate and $2 million yearly to finance it.
‘There is a discussion for a Nigerian to own a team. It is an advanced discussion. Next year, let’s see how this conversation goes, but at the moment, we are extremely positive. If it goes well, they sign and pay for the process. We may announce it by the end of the year, but again, I cannot guarantee. Negotiation, conservation, very positive so far,’ he said.
Meanwhile, the state’s governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, acknowledged the impact of E1 Lagos GP while assuring the state’s commitment to hosting future events, making the race a permanent event on the global E1 calendar.
He commended the organisers for bringing the race to Lagos and partners for making the dream a reality, assuring of the state’s resolve to compete with big cities across the world through its resilience, competitiveness and home to global businesses.
Pilot recounts experience
Team Braday’s Pilot Emma Kimiläinen, described her experience on Lagos waterways as nice, saying, ‘It’s been cool to work with Emma and the rest of the team. Because they’re all from different backgrounds, sporting-wise as well. Fantastic.
‘So, each session we learn something new and have to be a little bit hybrid with our strategy. We have an optimal strategy and race lines that we want to take. But every time, there’s always a bit of a compromise on corner entry.
‘If there are a bit of waves and stuff coming, or you’re following another boat. It’s a nice technical race course here because it’s flat and fast. So, it’s a different challenge than some of the other places like Monaco, where it’s rough water,’ she said.
Also, Latoya Johnson, a fan, expressed surprise that the championship was hosted in Lagos, stressing that it offers huge economic potential.
‘I know it’s a big event, but, looking at Nigeria, Lagos, you would not expect that we would be able to handle an event of this sort.
‘So, I was quite impressed, and honestly, I’m proud of Lagos, proud of Nigeria. The major highlight for me is the fact that Lagos was able to host this because I am a big promoter of tourism,’ she said.
Another fan, who gave his name as Oladunni, described his experience as great, urging the government to invest in natural resources.
‘The game is a new game. It is amazing in the fact that this is in West Africa, Lagos, and this is the first time they are going there. In terms of boosting the country’s economy, we need to invest in our natural resources,’ he said.