A new class of luminaries has emerged in Nigeria as a result of the growth of podcasts, and they identify as advocates of the country’s popular culture. According to Tilewa Kazeem, an author with republic.com.ng, through the podcasts these “Podcastars” they are establishing distinctive brands and social wealth, but how far can they go?
The real question that bugs me, are they influencing society’s moral fabric?
Over the years, the Nigerian podcasting subculture has grown significantly from its humble origins in the early 2010s. In Nigeria, what was once a niche media with few early users is now a popular format for news, entertainment, and narrative. Saying that podcasting is changing Nigeria’s cultural and societal landscape is not an exaggeration.
The rise of podcasting in Nigeria gained significant momentum around 2015, coinciding with the global rise of podcast popularity. According to Dax Shepard, co-host of ‘Armchair Expert’, “Podcasts are the new radio. They’re this intimate space where you can forge a connection with a host or guest and feel like you’re not alone.” This quote highlights how podcasts foster connection and a sense of community.
Podcasting is a new golden age of audio storytelling. It allows for niche communities to thrive and is fundamentally changing how we consume information. It is having a significant impact on popular culture in Nigeria.
These days podcasts offer a fresh alternative to screen-based media. They’re accessible to anyone with a smartphone, making knowledge and entertainment more widely available. It provides a platform for fresh perspectives and underrepresented stories. This adds richness and complexity to the Nigerian cultural landscape.
It resonates with Nigeria’s strong oral storytelling tradition. They offer a natural way to engage audiences to share stories and create a space for open and honest discussions on a variety of topics. This can influence social trends and cultural norms.
According to a report by Statista, Nigeria as of 2023, there were almost 64 million mobile internet users in Nigeria, and this figure is projected to grow to 117 million internet users by 2027. The market potential for podcasts is expanding. The country is considered a mobile-first market where infrastructure and online usage development skipped wide-ranging desktop PC adoption and went straight to mobile internet usage via inexpensive smartphones. With more than three-quarters of Nigerian web traffic being generated via smartphones, Nigeria ranks eighth on the list of African countries based on the share of traffic via mobile. Other African markets with a similar share of mobile online traffic are Mali, Gambia, and the Central African Republic.
I guess these are enough reasons why certain concerned parties invest heavily in it, to milk the ever-flowing fountain of controversy, madness and cruise of the Nigerian society. Podcasts such as the Honest Bunch and The Bahd and Boujee are making a massive killing selling unconventional lifestyles, morals, dreams and content to unsuspecting youths particularly younger millennials, Gen Zs and the emerging Generation Alpha (Watch out for them, they are coming for the crown jewel).
I have no issues with their content as I have to some extent a moral guide that helps me discern complex moral compasses dished out in pop culture. My concern is for those who are not fortunate enough to have a strong upbringing or suffer from a serious case of mob mentality, the fear of missing out is their personal lord and saviour. These are the people I am trying to help.
The Nigerian digital space is suffering from what many writers like Olayemi Olaniyi with disaffected.ng, have described as a Podpocalypse where you find all manner of commentary on gender wars, dating, entertainment, rumours about famous people, culture, or anything else. Since the internet has made it easier for everyone to publish material and make money from it, everyone is now a content creator trying to make money from ads.
To be honest this is not necessarily a problem experienced by Nigeria alone, Africa has its share and likewise the world. In today’s world, content creators and influencers are the stars of this age of spin. Personalities like Khaby Lame, Mr Beast, Logan Paul and Kai Cenat have more worth, reach and power than the most known traditional form of mass media. The internet of today has done away with that gatekeeping. The surge of creators on the internet has led to an overabundance of melodrama and inanity endorsed by the algorithm that feeds the consumer’s insatiable appetite for dopamine.
I have to commend the minds that create these podcasts. Even if Nigerians willfully pretend to be offended, they are aware of what the people of the country desire, and the massive reception that such content receives is sufficient evidence that there is a sizable market for it. I’ve argued in my private conversations that Nigerians don’t care about substance or finesse. Given that we love fragile things, people like Nedu, Saida Boj, and Tolani Baj are necessary.
We have our priorities completely backwards if podcasts are any indication. Real discussions on issues and themes that will assist us in resolving the numerous issues we face, such as bad leadership, inflation, corruption and starvation, are what we should be discussing. I think Nigeria needs its own social conscious resonance, and if done well, podcasts may spark the much-needed intellectual dialogue that would make it happen. Furthermore, this resonance would hopefully transcend to the arts, technology, social sciences, and sciences in general.
I am not here to point fingers at anyone, all I am saying is that there is a need for stakeholders concerned to do better and help shape a society that we can all be proud of and one that produces rounded individuals who can thrive in any given facets of society and the world at large.
This is well captured. Our content should facilitate social change.