Lagos State Deputy Governor Obafemi Hamzat has defended his description of traffic in the state as a “lifestyle”, saying the line was taken out of context and twisted on social media.
Hamzat issued the clarification in a video shared on Sunday through the X account of Wale Ajetunmobi, Senior Special Assistant to the Lagos State Governor on Media, after criticism of his remarks at Podfest Naija 2026.
Also read: The rise and rise of Kadri Obafemi Hamzat: The quiet reformer shaping Lagos’ future
He said he was speaking about storytelling and the creative industry. Lagos traffic, he said, was an example of how commuters listen to podcasts and other digital content on the move.
Reading from the speech, Hamzat called Lagos “the city that tells its own story” and said congestion had become part of many residents’ daily lives.
He quoted himself as saying, “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.”
The point, he said, was the link between traffic, commuters and content, not road design or the government’s view of congestion.
He asked how that line had been tied to comments by tech entrepreneur Tayo Oviosu and former governorship candidate Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour.
Oviosu had said Lagos traffic was caused by poor road design, not economic activity. Rhodes-Vivour had said traffic “should not be tolerated as a lifestyle” and was “a major drain on productivity.”
“That’s what I said. Now, how people correlate that to say design is incredible. Really incredible,” Hamzat said.
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.”
He said he spoke out so people would hear the setting of the original remark.
Olusesan Daini, Director of the New Media Directorate for the joint PBAT-KOH Lagos State Campaign Council, also defended him.
In a statement on X on Sunday, Daini said Hamzat was not celebrating gridlock or signalling that the state was at ease with the hardship.
“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.
He listed rail and water transport, road works, junction upgrades, intelligent traffic systems and LASTMA deployment as part of the state’s response.
“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 said.
Also read: The rise and rise of Kadri Obafemi Hamzat: The quiet reformer shaping Lagos’ future
Punch had earlier reported the Podfest remark. It drew a split online, with some users attacking the word “lifestyle” and others questioning how the state is tackling congestion.
Mariam Balogun is a contributor to Freelanews.com, covering news, business, and public affairs.
