The Lagos State Government and the French Embassy in Nigeria have signed a MOU to collaborate on building a vibrant, sustainable e-sports ecosystem and expanding opportunities in the sport for gamers, creatives, engineers and publishers. Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu signed on behalf of Lagos while the French Ambassador to Nigeria, Mrs Emmanuelle Blatman signed on behalf of the Embassy.
Speaking on the signing, Executive Chairman, Lagos State Sports Commission, Sola Aiyepeku said the signing is a significant leap for the emerging e-sports ecosystem in Lagos. Aiyepeku also said he is most excited about the global opportunities the partnership will present young Lagosians who are e-sports enthusiasts, gamers and budding publishers.
“As you know, e-sports is the latest frontier in sports and we have worked over the last 2 years to create an environment that will trigger the explosion in Lagos. That is why we created the Lagos E-sports Association, the first and only state e-sports association in Nigera two years ago. A key indication of this is that Mr Governor himself is here to sign on behalf of Lagos State which signals how much be believes in the potential of e-sports. We have also been working to find partners who can see our vision for e-sports and work with us to unlock global opportunities for training, technology and platforms for the e-sports ecosystem. The French Embassy is very enthusiastic about the potential of e-sports just as we are and we are very excited about this partnership and what the future holds for e-sports in Lagos. Our goal is to make Lagos the hub of e-sports in Africa attracting hundreds of millions of dollars in investments into the ecosystem. We imagine the biggest events being played here in Lagos. We want the biggest gaming titles and franchises to be created here by young Lagosians. We are very ambitious because we know that our young people have boundless energy, limitless imagination and creativity. Our job is to create the environment and provide them with global opportunities and resources and this is just the first step.”
Aiyepeku also revealed that Lagos State will be sending a delegation to the Paris e-sports Week, one of the biggest e-sports platforms in the world. “We are going to the Paris Week to showcase the opportunity in Lagos e-sports to global investors and partners. As I said earlier, we are very ambitious and we realize that building an ecosystem requires best in class technology, funding, training and access to global platforms. Our mission in Paris is to show the world what we have to offer in Lagos and our readiness to work with them to leverage this opportunity. “
