“Lagos Traffic Is Not a Problem; It’s a Lifestyle” — Hamzat

Lagos Deputy Governor Obafemi Hamzat has described the state’s notorious traffic congestion as more than a transportation problem, saying it has become part of the lifestyle of Lagos residents.

Hamzat made the remark on Friday, September 25, 2026, while speaking at the 2026 PodFest Naija at Harbour Point, Victoria Island, Lagos.

What Hamzat actually said

Reflecting on the way Lagos is portrayed, Hamzat said the city had often been described through stories about traffic, crowds and chaos.

He acknowledged that some of those descriptions were accurate before making the remark that generated attention:

“Anyone who has crossed Third Mainland Bridge at 6 p.m. knows that Lagos traffic is not a problem; it’s just a lifestyle.”

He then linked traffic to Lagos’ creative economy, suggesting that residents stuck between places such as Ojota and Obalende consume podcasts, videos and other forms of entertainment while travelling.

“Traffic has been the patron of your industry.”

The context matters

Hamzat was speaking at a storytelling and podcast festival, not unveiling a new transportation policy.

The 2026 PodFest Naija brought together podcasters, content creators, brands and other creative-industry participants, with discussions around culture, technology, money, health, brands and civic issues.

His traffic comment was therefore partly a rhetorical observation about Lagos culture and the creative economy.

But is traffic really “not a problem”?

This is where the statement requires context. Calling traffic a “lifestyle” does not remove the measurable costs of congestion.

Long travel times affect workers, students, businesses, fuel consumption, logistics, emergency response and household time.

Hamzat’s statement can therefore be read as a cultural description rather than a literal claim that congestion has no negative consequences.

That distinction matters because Lagos residents experience traffic differently depending on where they live, work and travel.

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For a commuter spending hours between home and work, describing congestion as a lifestyle may explain its normalisation but does not settle the transportation problem itself.

ValidViewNetwork reports that Hamzat’s comment was made during a creative-industry event and should be understood in that setting.

It was not presented at the event as a declaration that the Lagos traffic challenge requires no policy response.