Lagos traffic becomes unexpected audience for creative industry, deputy governor says

Lagos Deputy Governor Obafemi Hamzat has said the city’s heavy traffic has inadvertently helped expand content consumption and support the creative industry. Hamzat made the remarks on Friday at PODFEST Naija. He said many Lagos residents listen to podcasts, music and films while travelling through congested routes, including the corridor between Ojota and Obalende and the Third Mainland Bridge.

He described traffic as an unexpected audience for creators, saying some productions were consumed episode by episode during journeys across the city. The remarks were later shared in a video by News Central, according to the source material. Hamzat said Lagos was increasingly telling its own stories through podcasters, filmmakers, musicians, writers, designers, developers and entrepreneurs.

He contrasted this with an earlier period when the city’s image was often presented by others through accounts focused on traffic, crowds and disorder. The deputy governor said a strong creative sector depended on people feeling safe. He described safety and the liberty it provides as matters of rights and said they were important conditions for creativity to flourish.

He also said the state was supporting innovation through funding for research and development across health, education, mobility, film, technology, climate and culture. Hamzat said the era of good ideas without funding should be over. However, he warned creators not to rely only on audience numbers.

He urged them to develop business models, protect their intellectual property and convert popularity into sustainable income. He specifically called on creators to build businesses rather than only brands, register and protect their work, and produce Lagos stories with excellence and integrity.