Fidelia Soriwei, Abuja
Lagos State Deputy Governor, Obafemi Hamzat, has clarified his description of Lagos traffic congestion as a “lifestyle”, saying the comment was made in the context of how residents spend time consuming digital content while commuting.
Hamzat explained his remarks in a video shared on Sunday by the Senior Special Assistant to the Lagos State Governor on Media, Wale Ajetunmobi, following criticism of his comments at Podfest Naija 2026.
The deputy governor said he was speaking about storytelling and the creative industry when he used Lagos traffic as an example of the daily experiences that shape how residents consume podcasts and other digital content.
Reading from his speech, Hamzat said he had described Lagos as “the city that tells its own story” before discussing the experience of commuters travelling through the city.
“Anyone who has crossed Third Mainland Bridge at 6pm going from VI to Mainland knows that Lagos traffic is not just a problem, it is becoming our lifestyle.”
Hamzat said the statement was intended to explain the connection between traffic, commuting and content consumption, rather than address the causes of congestion or suggest that traffic should be accepted as a desirable condition.
He questioned the interpretation of his remarks alongside comments from technology entrepreneur Tayo Oviosu and former governorship candidate Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, who had criticised the description of traffic as a lifestyle.
Hamzat cited Oviosu’s comment that “Lagos traffic is caused by poor road design, not economic activities,” as well as Rhodes-Vivour’s statement that “traffic in Lagos should not be tolerated as a lifestyle” and was “a major drain on productivity.”
Responding to the interpretation of his comments, Hamzat said, “That’s what I said. Now, how people correlate that to say design is incredible. Really incredible.”
He added, “So it seems to me that when people go on social media, they don’t read what people say. And that’s the problem.”
Hamzat said he decided to explain the remarks publicly to provide the context in which they were made and address the criticism that followed their circulation on social media.
The Director of the New Media Directorate for the joint PBAT-KOH Lagos State Campaign Council, Olusesan Daini, also defended the deputy governor, saying his comments had been taken out of context.
“Recognising that traffic has become part of daily life is not the same as accepting it as the ideal. It is simply acknowledging the realities of a rapidly growing megacity while working continuously to improve mobility,” Daini said.
Daini pointed to government investments in rail and water transportation, road construction, junction improvements, intelligent traffic management systems and the deployment of LASTMA personnel, arguing that the remarks should be considered alongside those initiatives.
“Those seeking to portray the Deputy Governor’s comments as insensitive have relied on an isolated phrase instead of the substance of his remarks. Public discourse is best served when statements are presented in their full context rather than through selective excerpts,” he stated.
Hamzat’s original comments at Podfest Naija 2026 generated debate on social media, with critics questioning the description of Lagos traffic as a lifestyle and others focusing on the state’s approach to managing congestion.
