The Lagos State Deputy Governor, Obafemi Hamzat, told attendees at PODFEST Naija that the city’s heavy traffic has become a major driver of content consumption and a boost for the creative industry.
Speaking on Friday at the event, Hamzat said many Lagos residents listen to podcasts, music and films while stuck in traffic, particularly on corridors such as Ojota to Obalende and on the Third Mainland Bridge. A video of his remarks was shared by News Central, the Punch reported.
Hamzat framed the change as a shift in who tells Lagos’s story. He said that until recently the story of the city was often told by outsiders in headlines about traffic, crowds and chaos, and he urged creators to recognise the opportunity that commuters provide.
“Anyone who has crossed the Third Mainland Bridge at 6 pm knows that Lagos traffic is not a problem; it’s just a lifestyle,” Hamzat told the PODFEST Naija audience, according to Punch. He added that traffic had been, in effect, a patron of creative work produced for episodic consumption.
The deputy governor also urged creators to convert audiences into sustainable businesses, warning that large listenerships without revenue streams amount to hobbies. “A podcast with a million listeners and no business model is just a hobby with a good microphone,” he said.
Hamzat said the Lagos government is supporting innovation with funding and backing research and development across sectors including health, education, mobility, film, technology, climate and culture. “Gone are the days of great ideas and no funding,” he said.
He linked creativity to safety and liberty, saying creators can only flourish when people feel secure. He told the audience that safety and the freedoms it assures remain matters of rights for Lagos, and that the state must protect those conditions to sustain creative growth.
Hamzat listed the range of people telling Lagos stories as podcasters, filmmakers, musicians, writers, designers, developers and entrepreneurs, and urged them to protect their intellectual property and uphold quality and integrity in storytelling. “Build businesses, not just brands. Own your own intellectual property, register it and protect it. Tell Lagos stories with excellence and with integrity. The world is listening,” he said.
His remarks were reported by Punch, which noted the video of the speech was circulated by News Central.
Featured image: Kaizenify via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
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