Acting Group Head, Marketing and Communications, First Bank, Olayinka Ijabiyi, has explained his firm’s decision to power the maiden E1 Lagos GP, which came to a thrilling end over the weekend with Team Brazil emerging as the winner.
 
Reviewing the event on Monday, Ijabiyi described the bank’s support for the electric power boat race as another testament to FirstBank’s enduring investment in sports and sustainable initiatives.

“A lot of people would ask why First Bank threw its weight behind the E1 Lagos GP, the first of this kind in Africa. The reason is rooted in ideals such as innovation, sustainability and excitement. We are a heritage bank and have been around for 131 years, and for each year, we have constantly rebuilt ourselves and remain relevant. And who will bring the first electric motor-powered boat race to Lagos other than First Bank? It has to be First Bank. With E1 Lagos GP, we have presented Lagos to the world, presented Nigeria to the world and presented First Bank to the world”, Ijabiyi said.

The race, attended by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, former Chelsea and Cote d’Ivoire striker, Didier Drogba, among other dignitaries, was won by Team Brazil with 38 points. They beat Team Blue Rising to second place, while Team Drogba finished in third place.
 
Excited by the history-making event, Ijabiyi affirmed the First Bank’s continuous support for sports. “When you take a look at legacy as well, we’ve supported some sporting events for over 100 years. There are others that we have supported for 64 years; we have a female basketball team, a male football team and more. These show that we have always been active in the sports sector. We are a strong sporting brand”, he added.