Veteran entertainer, Charles Oputa (a.k.a Charly Boy) and Nigerian professional motorcyclist, who rode a bike from London to Lagos, Kunle Adeyanju (a.k.a The Lion Heart), led over 1,000 power bikers around Lagos Island to showcase the potential of the sport boosting the economy and image of the country through sports tourism.
The second edition of the event, titled ‘Pilions Hangout with Bikerz’, brought together veterans and other bikers from across the country, as well as representatives from the entertainment industry, to gather in Lagos on Sunday to thrill bike enthusiasts and promote business networking.
One of the participants, the Consul General of the Netherlands in Lagos, Michel Deelen, commended the biking event, which attracted young people from across Nigeria.
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He said, though the image of Nigeria is sometimes, unfortunately, not so good abroad for many reasons, the biking event has given a positive image to the country.
“I am extremely impressed by this event. It is great to gather all these bikers from different parts of the country touring Lagos State as it gives that sense of freedom. This is one of the good things we see in Nigeria,” he said.
Adeyanju said the yearly event brings people together, builds community and connection, fosters relationships, as well as engenders peace, prosperity and friendship.
He advised that the event be expanded to involve other African countries, as it will boost the tourism potential of Nigeria and build stronger international relations.
The co-convener of the event, Motunrayo Awomolo, expressed delight at the massive turn out, noting that consistency and passion helped in sustaining the initiative.
She explained that the event incorporates both power bikers and non-bikers to create a platform to promote social capital and business networking in the biking industry.
“The second edition is amazing, we have doubled the number of people that came for the first edition and the bikers enjoyed themselves. When you talk about biking industry, you are talking about the wealth of a nation and it is important for the youths to be part of this,” she said.
Charly Boy expressed his profound love for the biking industry, stating that biking promotes high energy, youthfulness and usefulness.
He said that biking is not just for the love of it, as riders engage in several activities, such as corporate social responsibility programmes and interaction with different associations and foundations.
