American celebrities like Will Smith, Lebron James and more have shown lots of interest in visiting Lagos as the country’s stake in the $500 million E1 race League grows having the championship extends across Africa.
Nigerian has suddenly increased its partnership interest by establishing in the country’s first team called TEAM PRONC to challenge in the $500 million E1 power boat racing championship, happening in Lagos.
Will Smith and Lebron James are the celebrity owners of the E1 Power Boat Race whom has shown so much interest in visiting Lagos, Nigeria as the game expand across Africa, having Lagos on the race calendar and Angola hosting it’s first event in 2026.
The Nigerian team plans to promote local tourism, music, fashion and use it as another channel of opportunity for African athletes as the E1 targets €500 million valuation by 2030
With the backing of celebrity and Nigerian ownership, the continent presence is expanding in E1, with races set in Lagos and Luanda, including greater involvement in the commercial and cultural aspects of the championship.
The tournament is drawing deep into Africa investment and attracting interest of lots of celebrities. Nigerian entrepreneurs preparing to support the country’s first team alongside franchises owned by Will Smith, Lebron James, Tom Brady and the Chelsea’s legend, Didier Drogba.
After the Nigerian first team, Team PRONC joined the UIM E1 World Championship presented by PIF for the 2027 Season, the American actor and Academy Award winner Will Smith and the NBA star LeBron James have separately shown deep interest to visit Nigeria.
According to Mr. Richie Shittu, the co-founder of Team PRONC, Will Smith made the remark during a recent E1 race weekend in Monaco. “Will Smith was like, ‘Hey, bring me home, guys. I want to come home,’” Mr. Shittu stated during his discussion with Forbes Africa.
Aside Will Smith and LeBron James, Tom Brady, Didier Drogba, Rafael Nadal and DJ Steve Aoki are also part of the world ranked celebrities that have picked interest in the racing competition.
The expansion of E1 into Africa carries a significant financial dimension, with the championship seeking to build a commercial footprint beyond power boat racing tournament.
The championship was seeking about €20 million as fresh capital as part of the plans of reaching a €500 million valuation by 2030 during the Lagos debut in 2025. According to report, each team is set have around €2 million as start-up commitment, with annual operating costs of roughly another €2 million.
Lagos’ entry into the championship marked E1’s first African destination, with the race held at the Lagos Lagoon waterfront and projected to generate more than $100 million in economic impact through tourism, hospitality, sponsorships and related business activity.
Nigeria moves from just being one of the hosting country to becoming ownership as the internet from Lagos expanded into not just hosting but also take part of becoming one of the ownerships in the game, with Nigerian investors launching Team PRONC as the country’s first franchise in the championship as established by Nigerian entrepreneurs and investors who goes by the name Cecil Hammond, Richie Shittu, Preye Berezi, Osahon Okunbo and Ndy Oruche, the team is set to bring hospitality experiences, live entertainment, private members’ clubs and cultural ventures into motorsport.
In March 2026, Will Smith travelled to Luanda with the E1 Chairman and founder, Alejandro Agag and Angola’s Tourism Minister Márcio Lopes Daniel to announce the E1 Luanda GP, as the tournament is scheduled for 12th to 13th of September, the race will make Angola as E1’s second African destination after Lagos and its first in Southern Africa.
Will Smith stated that “Africa has always embodied passion and relentless drive. E1 in Angola is more than a moment; it’s a movement,”
The Nigeria’s Team PRONC from Lagos is expected to announce its celebrity partner, pilots and technical programme ahead of its 2027 debut, adding another African franchise to E1’s growing international racing portfolio.
The all-electric championship is not only made for one gender, as it requires teams to field both male and female as pilots while combining racing with marine technology and conservation efforts.
According to E1 founder and chairman Alejandro Agag who alleged that Team PRONC would strengthen the championship’s global expansion by connecting its innovation agenda with Africa’s growing sports and business ecosystem.
While talking to the media, he said “E1 was created to inspire a new era of clean racing on the water, and Team PRONC underlines that ambition. Having Cecil Hammond and Richie Shittu joining the Championship next year connects our vision for global expansion and innovation with a wider base in Africa, helping to expand E1’s reach and influence as the Championship’s momentum continues.”
