How Abuja is driving Nigeria's motor sport future

On a dusty lot in the Mabushi neighborhood of the Nigerian capital, Abuja, a growing motor sport scene is gradually taking shape. The roar of engines and the smell of burnt rubber define the atmosphere. There, so-called drifters are building their own track.

Drifting is a driving technique in which cars are intentionally oversteered, causing the rear wheels to slide sideways. The trick is to maintain control while navigating the turns. Drifting is gaining a growing following among young motor sport enthusiasts in Nigeria. Many fans attend the events and film the spectacular maneuvers on the track.

Jamus Bashar Muhammad believes the facility could serve as a springboard for future Formula One drivers. Muhammad, also known as Jaybash, is one of Nigeria's most successful drifters and has won continental championships in Kenya, Togo and Egypt.

"We have a spot in the stadium that we use for training, but now we are working on a drift track, and a go-kart track here in Mabushi," Muhammad told Reuters. "This is going to be like a motor sport park where we train young stars that want to go into Formula One or kart racing and this will be like the grassroots of motor sports in Abuja."

More and more young people are discovering a passion for motor sport and getting involved themselves. Motor sport isn't just for the rich, said Muhammad. "It is a sport, this is like the grassroots of Formula One, this is how Formula One started with drifting, auto-slalom, karting and all, so this is not a rich man's sport or rich kids' sport," he emphasized.

But the sport requires a significant investment. In a hangar, Muhammad's team is overhauling the engines, with car parts scattered across the workbenches. "This is where we rebuild the heart. This is where we make the engines, and the parts are very expensive; that is one thing about motor sports," Muhammad admitted.

Nigeria has undiscovered talent in motor sport, said coach Richard Rittner. "We can encourage so many people to do motor sports and I believe Nigeria is a factory of talents, Africa as a whole is a factory of talents," he said. "It is just that we are not using our talents enough."

About 10 years ago, drifting in Nigeria was still practiced secretly on public roads after dark. Drivers had to be careful not to be spotted by the police. With the new drift and go-kart track, the sport is now legal. Talented drivers can be nurtured, in the hope of bringing some of them into professional motor sport.