The Lagos Lagoon was alive today with anticipation as journalists, influencers, and creators gathered at the LASWA Boat Jetty in Ikoyi. This wasn’t a routine media event. It was a journey, literally, into the future. Guests boarded boats and cruised across the lagoon, tracing the proposed course of the E1 Lagos GP.

The very waters that power the city’s trade and daily life will soon host the world’s fastest electric raceboats.

This wasn’t just a briefing but an ‘immersion’, as they called it. An invitation to step into the Lagos E1 story, to see the course firsthand, and to imagine the global spectacle that’s about to unfold on October 4th-5th, 2025.

What is the E1 Series?

Think Formula 1, but on water. That’s the E1 World Championship.

The competition is the world’s first all-electric raceboat series. At its heart are the futuristic RaceBirds, sleek, renewable-energy-powered boats that skim across the water at blistering speeds.

Participated in by celebrity-backed teams, like Rafael Nadal, Tom Brady, Didier Drogba and LeBron James. The championship is spread across seven races in seven iconic locations. Lagos is the sixth stop.

Each race winner collects 25 points, and those points stack up. The season reaches its grand climax at the seventh race in Miami, where the overall champion will be crowned.

It’s fast. It’s green. It’s the future of water sports. And Lagos is now firmly on the map.

Lagos as Africa’s megacity

Sam Egube, Chairman of the Local Organising Committee (LOC) for the E1 Lagos Grand Prix, did not mince words. He described Lagos as a city with a destiny. A place determined to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Miami, Monaco, and other global cities that have hosted world-class marine races.

“Lagos wants to be Africa’s model megacity,” Egube declared. “A global economic and financial hub that is safe, secure, and functional.”

It’s not just talk. Lagos already holds bragging rights. It is the home of more than eight unicorn companies. It is Africa’s undisputed tech capital and the continent’s entertainment powerhouse. From fintech to Afrobeats, Lagos drives the global conversation. Hosting a world-class sporting event like the E1 Series is a natural next step.

A third of Lagos is water. From the lagoon to the Atlantic, it is a city with a natural stage. That water has powered its trade, its growth, and its identity. Now, it will host a spectacle that marries sport, technology, and sustainability.

For the first time in Africa, the E1 Series will arrive in Lagos. Electric raceboats, sleek, futuristic, and whisper-quiet, will cut across the lagoon, piloted by men and women competing as equals. The event will blend sport with entertainment, fashion shows, concerts, food, and culture, in true Lagos style.

“This is history,” Egube declared.

Meanwhile, pulling off an event of this scale takes collaboration, and Lagos has assembled heavyweight partners.

Banks like FirstBank, Afriximbank, and FESBAN; investors like Toleran, the driving force behind the Lekki Deep Sea Port; and companies like Oando, Spiro, and Guinness, among others, have all joined the effort. 

Each partnership tells a story. Of how sport can catalyse trade. How culture can ride on the back of technology. How Lagos can host the world and still protect the environment.

Gbenga Omotosho, Lagos State Commissioner for Information, underscored the broader vision. The E1 Lagos GP is not just about boats. It’s a deliberate branding of the city for the world.

“Hosting this race will unlock economic potential,” Omotosho explained. Tourism, investment, and global media exposure will follow. Jobs will be created. The city’s profile will rise.

Picture it: RaceBirds slicing through the lagoon with the Lagos skyline in the background, Afrocentric fashion dazzling crowds, Afrobeats pumping from the shore, and international cameras broadcasting it all. This is Lagos marketing itself on a global scale.

Again, it’s not only about spectacle. Lagos knows its waters are fragile and vital. That’s why hosting an all-electric race matters.

The E1 Series is built on sustainability. The RaceBirds are powered by renewable systems, producing no emissions. It’s a chance for Lagos to showcase green innovation and position itself as a leader in climate-conscious sport.

For a city battling pollution and flooding, this is more than symbolism. It’s a step toward reimagining how Lagos interacts with its environment.

The E1 Lagos GP is less about boats and more about imagination. It’s about Lagos daring to say: if Monaco can do it, if Riyadh can do it, then so can we.

For young creators, it’s an inspiration. For investors, it’s an opportunity, while for Lagosians, it’s pride. And for the world, it’s a reason to pay attention to Ekọ.

Egube summed it up perfectly: “We are not just hosting a race. We are making history together.”

Lagos is betting big on this moment. Betting that sport can ripple through its economy, its culture, and its identity. Betting that the E1 GP can be more than an event.