Will Smith and LeBron James express interest in visiting Nigeria as the $500 million E1 racing league expands across Africa

30-Second Summary

Nigeria’s growing stake in the $500 million E1 racing league is already drawing celebrity attention, with Will Smith …
Against that backdrop, American actor and Academy Award winner Will Smith and NBA star LeBron James have separately e…
Team PRONC co-founder Richie Shittu said Smith made the remark during a recent E1 race weekend in Monaco.

Overview

Nigeria’s growing stake in the $500 million E1 racing league is already drawing celebrity attention, with Will Smith and LeBron James expressing interest in visiting Lagos as the championship deepens its expansion across Africa.

Against that backdrop, American actor and Academy Award winner Will Smith and NBA star LeBron James have separately expressed interest in visiting Nigeria after Team PRONC joined the UIM E1 World Championship presented by PIF for the 2027 season.

Team PRONC co-founder Richie Shittu said 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,’” Shittu told Forbes Africa. This development adds another layer to the ongoing conversation and highlights the dynamic nature of the story.

The expansion of E1 into Africa carries a significant financial dimension, with the championship seeking to build a commercial footprint beyond racing.

During E1’s Lagos debut in 2025, the championship was seeking about €20 million in fresh capital as part of plans to reach a €500 million valuation by 2030.

Reports around the event estimated start-up commitments of about €2 million per team, 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.

The momentum from Lagos has since expanded into ownership, with Nigerian investors launching Team PRONC as the country’s first franchise in the championship.

Established by Nigerian entrepreneurs and investors Cecil Hammond, Richie Shittu, Preye Berezi, Osahon Okunbo and Ndy Oruche, the team brings experience from hospitality, live entertainment, private members’ clubs and cultural ventures into motorsport.

Team PRONC’s entry moves Nigeria’s involvement beyond hosting races by giving local investors a direct stake in the global electric racing championship while using the franchise to promote Nigerian hospitality, music, fashion and tourism.

The team’s arrival has also drawn attention from E1’s high-profile owners, including Will Smith and LeBron James.

Key Details

Hammond said the franchise had already increased interest in Lagos among the championship’s celebrity-backed teams.

“Will Smith, LeBron James — they’re saying they’d love to come to our city,” Hammond said. This development adds another layer to the ongoing conversation and highlights the dynamic nature of the story.

Notably, Smith owns the Visit Angola Westbrook Racing team, while LeBron James owns the Blue Rising team. Other E1 team owners include Tom Brady, Didier Drogba, Rafael Nadal and DJ Steve Aoki.

In March 2026, he travelled to Luanda alongside E1 founder and chairman Alejandro Agag and Angola’s Tourism Minister Márcio de Jesus Lopes Daniel to announce the E1 Luanda GP.

Scheduled for September 12-13, the race will make Angola E1’s second African destination after Lagos and its first in Southern Africa.

“Africa has always embodied passion and relentless drive. E1 in Angola is more than a moment; it’s a movement,” Smith said.

While organisers have not disclosed the projected economic impact of the Luanda race, Angola is positioning the event as a platform to attract tourism, investment and international visibility.

The race is expected to support efforts to promote the country’s maritime economy, infrastructure and hydroelectric power development.

The addition of Lagos, Luanda and Team PRONC reflects E1’s wider strategy to grow its African presence around sport, destination marketing, electric marine technology and sustainability.

The all-electric championship requires teams to field both male and female pilots while combining racing with marine technology and conservation efforts.

E1 founder and chairman Alejandro Agag said Team PRONC would strengthen the championship’s global expansion by connecting its innovation agenda with Africa’s growing sports and business ecosystem.

“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.”

The Bigger Picture