Lagos State government o has concluded plans to host Africa’s first-ever electric powerboat championship.
It said the groundbreaking move will unlock the state’s enormous tourism potential.
At a media parley in Lagos, the deputy chief of staff to the governor of Lagos State and the chairman of the Local Organising Committee (LOC) for the E1 Race, Mr. Samuel Egube, said the E1 championship, the world’s first all-electric powerboat series, aimed at promoting clean energy and marine sustainability, will help to ignite ‘Detty December’ yuletide activities.
Egube, flanked by the state‘s commissioner for Tourism, Arts and Culture, Mrs. Toke Benson Awoyinka, her Transportation counterpart, Mr. Oluwaseun Osiyemi and the chief executive officer and founder of EI series, Rodi Basso, said the event will bring over 250 sports personalities together next month in Nigeria’s commercial and economic capital, Lagos.
He said, “To get E1 Race here in Lagos State requires a lot of negotiation and manoeuvring. It presents our leadership, Mr. Governor, as a businessman, not just as a political leader, but as a leader of enterprise. And this race will create increments in our GDP and economic size.
“It presents Lagos and, therefore, Nigeria to the entire world. This is a global sport. It presents Lagos side by side with other leading cities worldwide, like Miami, Jeddah, Doha, Monaco, Venice, and the rest of them.
“It presents Lagos as the sponsor and the driver of sustainability. So when Mr. Governor talks about THEMES Plus agenda, that plus is for inclusivity; this race underpins that reality. As the racers, the drivers will be male and female competing together, neck to neck.
“It speaks to sustainability because it’s an electric race as far as the racing system is concerned. So there’s a lot. It’s business for our hotels, it’s business for our restaurants, it’s business for our nightclub.
“It flags out the series for ‘Detty December’. It tells the world that Lagos is ready for business and entertainment.
We’re a city that holds the entertainment capital of the world.”
The chief executive officer and founder of the EI series, Rodi Basso, said Lagos competed with other global cities to secure the hosting rights, which would open the state for more investment opportunities in international sport and entertainment.
“We found that Lagos was the right place because of all the evolution dynamics that are happening, because of the energy, attention to tourism, keenness to be on a global map, and the fact that we are a global platform. So, I reckon that this means Lagos is a perfect start, and the right place for you all,” he said.
