Venus and Serena Williams in Lagos

The Williams’ sisters and tennis icon, Venus Williams, arrived in Lagos on tuesday, reports in the local and international media say. 

Venus, the older of the two world's renowned tennis icons, arrived in Lagos, Nigeria's commercial capital about 3:35pm, aboard a Delta Airline flight. She was welcomed to the hands of officials of Connect Marketing Services Ltd and scores of journalists, who had waited anxiously outside of the arrival lounge of the Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja.

Her sister, Serena, who has just clinched the WTA title which just ended in Istanbul, Turkey, arrived in Lagos at 9pm local time, on Tuesday.

From the airport, Venus was led straight to a waiting convoy of vehicles and driven to Federal Palace Hotel, Victoria Island where another group of Journalists had also assembled to receive the tennis queen.

Looking visibly excited about her coming to Lagos, she was accompanied by her managers, who however, did not allow her to entertain any questions from the journalists saying, Venus and Serena will speak to the media elaborately on the purpose of their visit during a Media Conference scheduled to hold on Wednesday 31, October 2012 in Lagos. 

Both Serena and Venus Williams are in Lagos as part of the Nigerian leg of a planned tour of two African countries, namely Nigeria and South Africa.

They are here on the platform of Breaking The Mould (BTM) campaign, a women's empowerment programme put together by Octagon and its West Africa affiliate, Connect Marketing Services Ltd.

While in Lagos, they will participate in a number of supporting initiatives such as a tennis clinic, school visit, exhibition match and gala dinner among others.

Through these initiatives, they will be motivating, inspiring and mentoring diverse audiences in particular women and young persons as well as other categories of people to be the best they can be, regardless of obstacles on their way.

Serena and Venus Williams are considered fit as “Mould Breakers” as the story of their lives exemplifies how determination, passion, hard work and self-belief can turn dreams into reality, despite obstacles.