The E1 Championship, which brings cutting edge electric marine tech to a marine circuit, brings the attention of the tech and marine sports world to each event, with Lagos poised to make history as the first African city to host the series.
Nigeria’s commercial capital will welcome the E1 Championship, the world’s first and only all-electric ocean race series, sanctioned by the Union Internationale Motonautique (UIM), from 4-5 October 2025.
The UIM E1 Championship combines “high-octane competition with climate-conscious innovation, focused on sustainable mobility solutions on water,” according to Innovation Village.
Lagos governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu visited Monaco in July 2025, to witness and experience the electric power boating series first hand.
“I’m proud to share that Lagos will become the first African city to host the E1 Championship on October 4th and 5th, 2025,” he announced in a statement, “bold ideas can come together to create something truly groundbreaking.”
He said that winning hosting rights to the event showed that Lagos was ready to be part of the global conversation on clean energy, sustainability, and new approaches to marine transportation.
The event would be “an opportunity to show the world what makes Lagos special, our culture, our energy, and our people. It’s a chance to welcome visitors, share our stories, and highlight the incredible potential of our city,” he added.
Nigerian entrepreneur Michael Udo said the West African nation was ready to offer the spectacle of speed alongside African hospitality.
“E1 racing prioritises clean and sustainable electric technology over fossil fuels. This is a positive step towards differentiating the tourism offerings Lagos and indeed Nigeria can offer to the rest of the world. Experiencing speed alongside African hospitality,” he stated online.
Ahead of the historic event, Pan-African multilateral lending institution Afreximbank announced support for Team Drogba – the only African team competing in the championship.
Didier Drogba, Chelsea and Ivory Coast football legend co-owns the team alongside Lilium Capital Group and FEDA.
Widely known for his exploits on the pitch and championing for peaceful co-existence in Ivory Coast, Drogba has a strong interest in sustainability, aligning with the E1 Series’ blue impact program for marine ecosystem restoration.
Jeddah (Saudi Arabia), Doha (Qatar), Dubrovnik (Croatia), and Lago Maggiore hosted the event before Monaco. Lagos will pass the baton to Miami for the November edition.
After 5 races, team Brady is in the lead with 135 points, a point ahead of second placed team Rafa. Aoki Racing Team is third with 125 points, 11 ahead of 4th placed Team Blue Rising.
Team Drogba is 7th on the 9-team table with 66 points, managing a podium finish once – in Monaco.
“Well, it is the first podium finish for us and I mean what a place to get on the podium. It has been a good weekend and I am really proud of my team,” said Drogba in a post by his team after the event.