The Minister of Art, Culture, and the Creative Economy, Hannatu Musawa, says President Bola Tinubu is committed to strengthening opportunities for young Nigerians through creative and digital innovation.
Musawa stated this while addressing over 1,500 creators, storytellers, brands, and policymakers at Nigeria’s inaugural Podfest in Lagos. She commended the organisers, describing podcasting as a powerful medium that young Nigerians can harness to project the nation’s creative potential to the world.
“Podcasting has become one of the most powerful tools for projecting our soft power and amplifying Nigerian creativity,” Musawa said. “It is a veritable medium that transcends borders, democratising how stories are told and who gets to tell them.”
The minister noted that the growing podcast ecosystem in Nigeria reflects the resourcefulness and innovation of young people across multiple creative disciplines.
“Our young people are not just listeners — they are creators, hosts, writers, sound engineers, researchers, and digital entrepreneurs,” she said. “President Bola Tinubu is committed to fortifying their future by expanding opportunities and absorbing as many young people into the job market as possible.”
Curator of Podfest Naija and CEO of AT3 Resources, Tosin Adefeko, reflected on the festival’s evolution, saying it was conceived to build community among creators and storytellers.
“When we started this journey, our vision was simple — to tell better stories,” Adefeko said. “Over time, we realised everyone was working in silos, and there was no platform bringing the tribe together. Podfest Naija was born out of that realisation.”
She described the event as a “festival of stories and creative convergence” designed to celebrate diverse voices, encourage collaboration, and drive innovation in storytelling.
The festival featured over 40 storytellers and cultural figures, including Chude Jideonwo, Tunde Onakoya, Adaora Mbelu, Rufai Oseni, Morayo Afolabi-Brown, and Olalekan Fabilola (Masoyinbo).
