The proliferation of podcasts in Nigeria has given rise to a new class of luminaries, who position themselves as promoters of Nigerian popular culture. ‘Podcastars’ are building formidable personal brands and social capital through the podcasts they host—but how far can they go?
From its modest beginnings in the early 2010s, the Nigerian podcasting subculture has evolved tremendously. What began as an obscure medium with few early adopters has today become one of the mainstream formats for storytelling, news, and entertainment in Nigeria. It is not an overstatement to say that podcasting is reshaping the Nigeria’s cultural and societal landscape.
During its infancy in the early 2010s, podcasts as a broadcast medium were relatively unknown. This was due in part to limited internet access and the continued dominance of the FM radio. Many of the podcasters were tech-savvy individuals who were already active in global online communities and were familiar with digital content creation. Others were bloggers and journalists looking for new ways to distribute their content...
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