Will Smith and LeBron James eye visit to a West African country as $500 million E1 racing league expands across the continent

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.

• Nigeria is increasing its involvement in the $500 million E1 electric powerboat racing league by establishing Team PRONC, the country's first team in the championship.
• Celebrity owners like Will Smith and LeBron James have shown interest in visiting Lagos as E1 expands across Africa, with Lagos on the race calendar and Angola hosting its first event in 2026.
• E1 targets a €500 million valuation by 2030 and the Nigerian team plans to promote local tourism, music, fashion, and create opportunities for African athletes through their franchise.
• With growing celebrity backing and Nigerian ownership, Africa's presence is expanding in E1, with races in Lagos and Luanda and greater involvement in the commercial and cultural aspects of the championship.

The $500 million E1 electric racing league is drawing deeper African investment and celebrity interest, with Nigerian entrepreneurs preparing to field the country’s first team alongside franchises owned by Will Smith, LeBron James, Tom Brady and Didier Drogba.

Against that backdrop, American actor and Academy Award winner Will Smith has expressed interest in visiting Nigeria following the addition of Team PRONC to 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.

The Nigerian-backed franchise enters the championship as E1 expands its African footprint, building on Lagos’ debut as its first host city on the continent and the addition of Luanda to the calendar.

Nigerian investors move into global sports ownership

Team PRONC was established by Nigerian entrepreneurs and investors Cecil Hammond, Richie Shittu, Preye Berezi, Osahon Okunbo and Ndy Oruche.

The consortium brings more than two decades of experience across hospitality, live entertainment, private members’ clubs and cultural ventures, and is now extending that portfolio into motorsport.

Its entry marks a deeper phase in Nigeria’s relationship with E1. Lagos joined the championship in 2025 as its first African host city, placing it on a circuit that includes Monaco, Miami and Lake Como.

Team PRONC moves that participation beyond hosting by giving Nigerian investors a direct ownership position within the championship.

Hammond said the team’s arrival had already generated greater interest in Lagos among E1’s celebrity owners.

“Will Smith, LeBron James — they’re saying they’d love to come to our city,” Hammond said.

E1 targets €500 million valuation

The expansion also carries a significant financial dimension.

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.

Team PRONC’s founders also plan to use the franchise to promote Nigerian hospitality, music, fashion and tourism while creating opportunities for emerging African athletes and innovators.

Will Smith pushes E1’s African expansion

Smith’s interest in Nigeria follows his involvement in E1’s expansion elsewhere on the continent.

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.

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

The Luanda race will also extend Angola’s international exposure, with E1 broadcasts available in more than 230 territories through platforms including DAZN, SuperSport and YouTube.

E1 widens its African base

The addition of Lagos, Luanda and Team PRONC comes as E1 builds its African presence around sport, destination marketing, electric marine technology and sustainability.

Luanda, a major Atlantic maritime gateway, plans to use the race to promote tourism and investment while highlighting Angola’s infrastructure and hydroelectric power development.

E1 founder and chairman Alejandro Agag said Team PRONC would further connect the championship’s international growth strategy with Africa.

“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 all-electric championship requires teams to field both male and female pilots and combines racing with marine technology and conservation.

Team PRONC is expected to announce its celebrity partner, pilots and technical programme before its 2027 debut, adding African franchise ownership to E1’s growing race presence on the continent.