Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has congratulated Nigerian singer, songwriter and record producer, Temilade Openiyi, popularly known as Tems, for winning the 67th Grammy Award for Best African Music Performance.
The Governor said the award is a prestigious recognition that highlights Tems’ exceptional talent and contribution to the music industry not only in Nigeria and the African continent but also on the global stage.
Governor Sanwo-Olu, in a statement issued on Monday by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr. Gboyega Akosile, said the 29-year-old Tems has achieved a milestone with the international recognition at the 67th Grammy Award.
It would be recalled that Openiyi won the Best African Music Performance Award during the Grammy Award held at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, United States, on Sunday. She emerged victorious in a fierce competition, defeating strong contenders with her love song “Love Me Jeje.”
Governor Sanwo-Olu said the award received by Tems is an affirmation of Lagos as truly the home of entertainment, creativity, tourism, culture and arts.
He said: “Temilade Openiyi once again has proved to the world that she is a creative of an uncommon talent. We thank her for bringing the Best African Music Performance Grammy back to Nigeria. As a Lagosian, we are excited with her success.
“Tems winning the 67th Grammy Award for Best African Music Performance is a confirmation that our dear Lagos State remains the hub of entertainment, creativity and tourism in the West African sub-region.
“On behalf of my family, the government, and the people of Lagos State, I congratulate Tems for achieving this great feat, and I urge her not to rest on her oars as the future remains a lot brighter than it is today.”
SIGNED
GBOYEGA AKOSILE
SPECIAL ADVISER – MEDIA AND PUBLICITY
03 FEBRUARY 2025
PRESS RELEASE
LAGOS TO HOST E1 BOAT RACE FIESTA, AS SANWO-OLU MEETS FORMER CHELSEA STRIKER, DIDIER DROGBA
- Governor receives water sport organisers, sponsors
Lagos will be the host city for E1 World Championship coming up next September. Organiser of the all-electric race boat contest touched down in Lagos on Monday to take an exploratory tour of the State’s waterways infrastructure to ensure smooth hosting of the event.
Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu received the event’s sponsors at the State House in Marina on Monday. The team was led by Marlene Ngoyi Mvidia, Chief Executive Officer of Fund for Export Development in Africa (FEDA), a subsidiary of Afrexim Bank.
Ivory Coast’s former striker and holder of multiple titles in European football, Didier Drogba, who is the driving force for the E1 sport in Africa, joined the sponsor team comprising Chairman of E1 Racing, Aleyandro Agag, and Strategic Adviser, Pablo Agag.
E1 World Championship is an adventurous sport being introduced to Africa to create opportunities for talented young Africans, especially water sports enthusiasts.
Some biggest names in sports who have shown interest in the tournament include American NBA forward, James LeBron, and the legendary Spanish former tennis superstar, Rafael Nadal.
Sanwo-Olu said the choice of Lagos to host the tournament presented “another unique opportunity” to tell the Lagos story in a sustainable manner, assuring the organisers that the State was prepared and ready to host the world race boat championship.
The Governor said Lagos was prepared to take full advantage of opportunities coming with the tournament, noting that the State had adequate manpower and infrastructure to be able to take in all participating visitors and athletes.
He said: “Our governing vision is not just making Lagos a global city; we are building Lagos to be an African model city where global corporations can come and take advantage of the opportunities that are available here. We are excited about the initiative which E1 Racing Team and other partners are trying to achieve. For us, we believe this is not just your own success, but the glory of the African dream.
“We see this as another unique opportunity to tell the Lagos story in a sustainable manner. We are fully prepared and transaction ready for the tournament. I want to assure the athletes and visitors who will be participating in the competition that we are ready in terms of manpower and infrastructure to be able to take in all of the opportunities that are coming with the project.”
Sanwo-Olu said the State, in the past week, also received a team from Formula One, which was in Lagos for an exploratory exercise to understudy the traffic flow and infrastructure in the transportation sector. This, he said, attested to the renewed interest in the State by multinational organisations.
The Governor said the State was in partnership with the French Development Bank to improve waterways experience, stressing that efforts were being made towards changing State-owned ferries from hydrocarbon to electric boats.
“We are growing and building the city in an organised manner but extremely aggressive, because we see the State as part of the global community in entertainment and innovation. Lagos is surrounded by water and has enormous space that will be able to take up the logistics. Participants and visitors will enjoy the warmness of our environment and the unique hospitality Lagos offers,” the Governor said.
Sanwo-Olu said the organisers made the best choice to make Drogba as influencer for the tournament, pointing out that the former Chelsea striker had become a household name not just in football, but also in talent development across Africa.
“Drogba is an inspiration and an icon whose name opens doors,” Sanwo-Olu said, thanking Afrexim Bank and E1 Racing team for the vision.
Drogba said the discussion to introduce the electric boat racing sport to Africa started in Riyadh where his team met with the E1 Racing Team.
The Ivory Coast’s ex-internationale said he was interested in the sustainability part of the sport in Africa, stressing that the continent was looking forward to driving positive changes through the effort.
Drogba said: “When we had discussions about the new sport, we said Africa should not be left out. We want to be in and see how it will work. We are interested in the sustainability part of it, because I know our continent is looking forward to seeing the changes we need to implement.
In my position as a public figure in Africa, I think I can use my influence to make the sport impactful in the continent. Whatever it is for sustainability, and even for other sports in terms of inspiration, we will use our position to inspire the young athletes and even the elders to say it is possible.
“Africa has got the best athletes in the world. I believe Lagos is ready to compete in the sport. We have come here to have the support of the Government, because we need to start the game and we need to start well. We need to send a message to the world to say that the competition is here in Lagos and we can replicate it anywhere.”
SIGNED
GBOYEGA AKOSILE
SPECIAL ADVISER – MEDIA AND PUBLICITY
03 FEBRUARY 2025
