Hamzat Clarifies ‘Lagos Traffic Is A Lifestyle’ Comment

Lagos State Deputy Governor, Obafemi Hamzat, has clarified his earlier statement that traffic in Lagos is a lifestyle.

Naija News reports that Hamzat said traffic congestion in the state should not be seen as a problem but as a lifestyle.

However, in a video shared on social media by the Senior Special Assistant to the Lagos State Governor on Media, Wale Ajetunmobi, Hamzat said his submission was taken out of context and misinterpreted on social media.

He explained that he made the comment while delivering a speech on storytelling and the creative industry, using Lagos traffic to illustrate how commuters consume podcasts and other digital content during their journeys.

Reading excerpts from his speech, Hamzat said he had described Lagos as “the city that tells its own story” and noted that traffic had become part of the daily experience of many residents.

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.”

Hamzat said the remarks were intended to illustrate the relationship between traffic, commuters and content consumption, rather than make a statement on road design or the government’s position on congestion.

Defending his comments, he questioned how his remarks had been linked to criticisms of the state’s handling of traffic, particularly comments from tech entrepreneur Tayo Oviosu and former governorship candidate Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour.

He read Oviosu’s comment that “Lagos traffic is caused by poor road design, not economic activities,” as well as Rhodes-Vivour’s statement that “traffic in Lagos should not be tolerated as a lifestyle” and was “a major drain on productivity.”

Reacting to the connection made between the comments, Hamzat said, “That’s what I said. Now, how people correlate that to say design is incredible. Really incredible.”

He further criticised the interpretation of statements on social media, saying, “So it seems to me that when people go on social media, they don’t read what people say. And that’s the problem.”

Hamzat said he decided to explain his remarks publicly so people could understand the context in which he made them.