Nigeria officially declares interest in hosting Formula 1 Grand Prix in Abuja

Nigeria has officially joined the race to host a Formula 1 Grand Prix, according to a new announcement from the National Sports Commission (NSC).

According to The Cable, the chairman of the commission, Shehu Dikko, revealed that Opus Racing Promotions has been appointed as Nigeria’s official representative in the bid to bring the global motorsport event to Abuja.

Dikko also extended invitations to Formula 1 CEO Stefano Domenicali, seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton, and Tilke Engineers & Architects — the designers behind some of the world’s most iconic F1 tracks — to visit Nigeria and meet with both government and private sector stakeholders.

“We are exploring all possibilities to bring Formula 1 to Nigeria as soon as practicable,” Dikko said, noting that the move is about more than just sports. According to him, an F1 race in Nigeria could boost tourism, infrastructure, youth engagement, and economic development, while also projecting Nigeria’s soft power globally.

If successful, Nigeria would become the first African country to host a Grand Prix since South Africa last did in 1993.

However, Nigeria isn’t the only African nation eyeing the event — South Africa and Rwanda are also reportedly in talks to host the global race.

F1 Grands Prix are typically held on specially built circuits, though some events take place on street roads combined with dedicated race tracks.

Source: LIB