Podfest Naija 2026: The bigger story behind the speech

When I first pitched the Keynote segment of PodFest Naija to the Deputy Governor of Lagos State, H.E. Dr. Kadri Obafemi Hamzat, he asked a couple of questions for clarity. Not long after, he said, “I will absolutely do it.” I was elated. Not simply because the Deputy Governor of our host state had agreed to speak, but because I knew I was in the presence of someone who understood the bigger purpose behind PodFest, a purpose that some people have struggled to understand.

He understood the assignment. His role was not simply to come and speak to a room full of creators. It was to recognise the extraordinary talent emerging from Lagos and the role that talent is increasingly playing in shaping culture, business and the identity of a city that has become one of the world’s great cultural engines. And that is exactly what he did.

He connected storytelling to Lagos, culture, technology, business and economic opportunity.

His central argument was, essentially, this:

Lagos is increasingly telling its own story, and the people telling that story matter.

The podcasters. The filmmakers. The musicians. The writers. The designers. The developers.

The entrepreneurs. They are not simply creating content. They are creating culture. And he made another point that I found particularly powerful: creators have to move from visibility to sustainable businesses. Protect your intellectual property. Build structures around your work.

Understand your business model. Turn audiences into revenue. His message to “Build businesses, not just brands” is particularly relevant to the generation coming behind us. Because there is a very real difference between being popular and building an asset. And then there was the traffic comment. Of course, that became the soundbite.

In context, his point was actually about the enormous captive audience created by Lagos’ long commutes: people listening to podcasts, music and other digital content between Ojota and Obalende, or while crossing Third Mainland Bridge. It was delivered with the soft banter that Lagos conversations are famous for. But the subsequent reaction is also a useful reminder of the power and danger of a great soundbite. Take one line out of a 20-minute speech and you can create an entirely different conversation.

And perhaps this is where message development becomes as important as speech writing, particularly when public figures are speaking in a politically sensitive environment. Every phrase can be isolated, interpreted and amplified far beyond the intention of the larger message.

But for me, the bigger story is what the Deputy Governor actually said to that room. You are not just entertainers. You are part of the economy. Your stories have value. Your intellectual property has value. Your businesses matter. And that is fundamentally what PodFest has always been about. Creating a space where storytellers, creators, brands, policymakers and ordinary citizens can occupy the same conversation.

Similar: Beyond influence: PodFest Naija pushes creators towards ownership and control

This year, that conversation brought together 50+ accomplished storytellers and more than 3,000 attendees, alongside brands, partners and thousands of people who simply love stories.

We have created a home for thousands of people who talk into microphones, create from their bedrooms, build communities online and tell stories from their everyday lives.

A place where they can meet their online favourites in real life. Listen.Learn.Collaborate.

Celebrate. And dream bigger. So, for me, having the Deputy Governor of the host state stand on that stage and speak about culture, technology, investment, intellectual property, entrepreneurship, jobs, infrastructure and the future of Lagos was significant. Very significant. Because it brought the creative economy into the room where policy, government and business intersect.

That, to me, is one of the biggest stories of PodFest Naija 2026. Not the soundbite. The conversation behind it.

Thank you, Your Excellency, for understanding the assignment, for showing up, and for recognising that the people in that room are not simply telling stories.

They are helping to tell the story of Lagos.

And that story is still being written.

Happy Independence Day Nigeria

TOSIN ADEFEKO IS THE CONVENER PODFEST NAIJA.