Lagos State Deputy Governor Obafemi Hamzat has described the state’s notorious traffic congestion not as a burden but as a defining feature of the city’s identity, crediting the long hours commuters spend on the road with fuelling growth in Lagos’ creative and digital content industry.
Speaking on Saturday at Podfest Naija, an event bringing together storytellers and creatives, Hamzat said the time Lagosians spend stuck in traffic has inadvertently built a captive audience for podcasters and other content creators.
He said anyone who has crossed the Third Mainland Bridge at 6pm would understand that traffic isn’t really Lagos’ problem, but simply a way of life. He added that much of the content produced in the room was likely consumed in instalments by commuters travelling between Ojota and Obalende, joking that traffic had effectively become a patron of the creative industry worth celebrating.
Hamzat said Lagos’ distinct character has long inspired artists, writers, filmmakers and other creatives, and noted that the city’s story, once told mostly by outsiders, is increasingly being narrated by its own creative community, singling out podcasters, filmmakers, musicians, writers, designers, developers and entrepreneurs who have amplified Lagos’ voice globally.
Creatives urged to build sustainable business models
The deputy governor cautioned that having a large audience does not automatically translate to commercial success, urging creatives to build sustainable business models. He said the state was backing the creative and innovation ecosystem through direct funding rather than mere encouragement, pointing to its support for no fewer than 90 research and development projects. A podcast with a huge following but no viable business model, he said, remains just a hobby with a good microphone.
Hamzat also linked creativity to safety, arguing that people can only tell stories freely when they feel secure. He described Lagos as currently the safest state in Nigeria, though he acknowledged that sustaining this status comes at a steep cost.
The APC governorship candidate for Lagos State in the 2027 general election further urged Nigerians to reconnect with their cultural roots, warning that neglecting culture as Africans could hinder the country’s development.
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