Historic take-off as Obasanjo flags off Nigerian driver’s global cancer awareness expedition

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo is scheduled to officially flag off the “Lagos to the World” expedition on Sunday, May 31, 2026, at the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library, with proceedings expected to begin at 2:00 p.m. prompt.

The event will mark the formal launch of a solo global overland journey conceived by Nigerian entrepreneur and BMW enthusiast, U. Erik Nwagwu, who has dedicated the expedition to the memory of his late mother and sister, both of whom died from cancer.

According to a statement by the Special Assistant on Media, Kehinde Akinyemi, the “Lagos to the World” project is a historic undertaking involving a solo circumnavigation of the globe in a Nigerian-plated 2008 BMW 535i.

The journey, described as the first of its kind departing from Nigeria, has received the blessing of the former President ahead of its take-off.

Nwagwu, who is the Managing Director of Carbon Deficits Ltd and a founding member as well as Board of Trustees member of the BMW Club Nigeria, said the expedition is not only a personal challenge but also a humanitarian mission focused on men’s health and prostate cancer awareness.

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He explained that the expedition will be executed in three major legs across six continents, with free prostate cancer screening services provided along the route to underserved roadside communities that are often excluded from formal healthcare outreach.

“This mission is dedicated to my late mother, Professor Helen Nwagwu, and my late sister, Mrs. Onyema Fern Eseka, both lost to cancer,” he said, adding that the initiative aims to combine adventure travel with lifesaving health awareness campaigns.

The project has attracted institutional backing from several partners, including AXA Mansard Insurance, which serves as Official Insurance Partner, Zuri Health, the Official Digital Healthcare Partner responsible for free prostate cancer screenings in Lagos, Abeokuta and Accra, and Studio 24 Nigeria, which will provide photography and multimedia coverage.

Organisers say Obasanjo’s participation adds symbolic weight to the initiative, describing his endorsement as a major boost for the visibility and credibility of the campaign.

Nwagwu noted that the former President will also conduct a guided tour of the Presidential Library for invited guests, including members of BMW Club Nigeria, foundation patrons, and other dignitaries attending the flag-off ceremony.

He described the occasion as historic, noting that the convergence of a Nigerian-led global expedition and the symbolic departure from a presidential institution in Abeokuta would be remembered as a milestone in the country’s contemporary history.