Sanwo-Olu Etches His Name in Gold with Africa’s First E1 Race

The water gleamed like polished steel, and Lagos held its breath. When the RaceBirds sliced through the lagoon at the weekend, it was more than sport; it was spectacle, symbolism, and a shot of history in motion.

For three days, the city became the newest port of call on the E1 calendar, the world’s first all-electric powerboat championship. It joined Monaco, Venice, and London in hosting a futuristic sport where speed meets sustainability. The Victoria Island Lagoon turned into a playground for hydrofoil vessels that flew over water at 50 knots, powered not by fuel but ambition.

Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu stood at the centre of it all, smiling like a man who knew he had just etched his name in gold. Lagos, under his watch, had become Africa’s first host of the E1 Series, a milestone in clean energy and blue-economy innovation. “We are bold, resilient, and ready to take our place on the global stage,” he said.

The race began with a boat regatta that painted the lagoon in colour and music, Lagosians crowding the waterfront in easy celebration. By Saturday, the serious business began: qualifying trials that sent boats skimming across the water with surgical precision. Team Rafa, owned by tennis legend Rafael Nadal, took pole position, while Tom Brady’s crew followed close behind.

From Ikoyi to Marina, the city hummed. President Bola Tinubu sent his goodwill message, praising Lagos for leading the continent toward a cleaner, more sustainable future. Billionaire Femi Otedola called it “history made,” hailing Sanwo-Olu’s boldness in placing Lagos at the centre of a global conversation about innovation and green growth.

But beyond the glitz lay something quieter: the sense that Lagos had turned a page. Once known for traffic and grit, it now told a different story: one of water, technology, and confidence.

When the final spray of the race settled over the lagoon, the crowd still lingered, reluctant to leave. Perhaps they knew that history, once written, does not wash away.