PIC: (L-R): The Convener and Chief Storyteller of Podfest Naija, Tosin Adefeko; Lagos State Deputy Governor and All Progressives Gubernatorial Candidate, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat; APC Deputy Governorship Candidate in Lagos State, Princess Damilola Sonayon-James; Chairman, APC in Lagos State, Hon. Cornelius Ojelabi; and Director General, PBAT/KOH 2027 Campaign Council, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro at the Second edition of PodFest Naija, "A Festival of Stories,” held at Harbour Point, Victoria Island, Lagos, on Friday.
Hamzat Tasks Content Creators To Turn Creativity Into Sustainable Businesses
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Lagos State Deputy Governor and All Progressives Governorship Candidate, Dr. Kadir Obafemi Hamzat, has urged content creators in the country to move beyond creating content for visibility and build sustainable businesses around their creativity.
Hamzat gave the charge on Friday while speaking at the Second edition of PodFest Naija 2026, “A Festival of Stories,” themed: “The Lagos We Are Building,” held at Harbour Point, Victoria Island, Lagos, where he said the creative industry must develop stronger systems around contracts, payments, intellectual property, access to finance, and business structures to enable creators to derive greater economic value from their work.
"As content creators, you need to remain hopeful, tell authentic Lagos stories and use your creativity to create jobs, generate revenue and project the state to a global audience. You have to build businesses, not just brands.
"You have to own your intellectual property, register it and protect it. You have to build structures around what you are doing, because talent alone is not enough. We have the talent, but we need the systems that will allow that talent to create value, jobs and make money," he said.
The deputy governor added that the creative industry cannot just be about people consuming what is created; creators need to own what they create and benefit from the value that it generates, urging them to translate their intellectual property into sustainable economic opportunities for those who create it.
Hamzat stated that the Lagos State Government was already investing in infrastructure and initiatives that would support the growth of the creative and technology sectors.
He highlighted the state’s Unified Fibre Network, noting that more than 3,000 kilometres of fibre infrastructure had been laid between 2019 and 2025, with plans to expand the network to about 6,000 kilometres for creatives to have faster and more reliable service for uploading their content.
The deputy governor said that the Lagos government was building a city where creativity and technology reinforce each other, stressing that the present administration had been a source of encouragement to many creators, innovators and entrepreneurs as, according to him, the government treats digital infrastructure as core infrastructure.
Responding to concerns about the difficulty of accessing government opportunities, Hamzat acknowledged that more needed to be done to make funding opportunities easier and more transparent for creatives.
He pointed to the Citizens Gate platform, an initiative of the government, and plans for satellite secretariats across the five divisions of the state, saying that the government is working towards connecting platforms such as LASRIC and LSETF for citizens to see available opportunities, apply, and track progress of their applications.
The deputy governor further called on content creators to engage with the government and clearly communicate the challenges confronting the sector, assuring them that the present administration was committed to supporting the growth of the creative economy.
Speaking on the Lagos–California relationship, Hamzat noted that the partnership covers areas, including the creative economy, entrepreneurship and education, adding that the state is exploring opportunities to attract investments, including the development of studios and other infrastructure that could strengthen Lagos’ position in the global creative economy.
The deputy governor concluded by admonishing content creators to use their platform to tell positive stories about Nigeria, saying that de-marketing the nation will not aid the development and growth which they are clamoring for.
Earlier in her Welcome Address, the Convener and Chief Storyteller of Podfest Naija, Tosin Adefeko, said the festival was created to provide a convergence point for content creators, storytellers, brands, policymakers, industry leaders, and everyday people to explore the human experiences behind stories and content.
Adefeko said the festival goes beyond platforms, followers, and influence to examine the journeys, choices, and experiences that shape people.
The Convener noted that the event is opened with a call for greater conversations around ownership, intellectual property, monetisation, artificial intelligence and sustainable value creation within Africa’s growing creative economy, adding that a talent discovery programme such as Podfest was designed to allow young Nigerian storytellers to develop their creativity, communication and podcasting skills.
Highlighting the connection between storytelling and Lagos’ creative ecosystem, Adefeko stated that the festival will speak on the role of technology and creativity in shaping the future of Lagos.
"This event uncovered a conversation series focused on the human stories behind successful personalities, alongside discussions on love, money, health and culture.
She, therefore, urged participants to see the festival not merely as a series of sessions, but as an opportunity to find themselves in other people’s stories, stressing that everyone has a story worth telling.
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