By Fatima Mohammed Abubakar
Not long ago, having a microphone, a topic and an internet connection was hardly enough to make someone a media personality. Today, the same combination can create a platform capable of attracting thousands of listeners, starting conversations and giving ordinary people access to audiences once controlled largely by traditional media.
Podcasting is increasingly becoming part of Nigeria’s changing media landscape, particularly among young people. What began largely as an alternative way of consuming audio content has expanded into a space for entertainment, education, storytelling, commentary and public conversation.
The numbers point to a significant shift. The Guardian Nigeria, citing Spotify, reported that podcast listenership in Nigeria increased by 482 per cent between 2022 and 2024. Earlier Spotify data reported by Technext showed that Nigerian podcast listenership grew by 222 per cent between 2021 and 2022, with people aged 18 to 24 accounting for half of podcast streams over a three-month period.
The growth suggests that podcasts are no longer a marginal form of media consumption in Nigeria.
A new space for conversation
Unlike traditional radio and television, podcasts allow creators to decide what they want to discuss, how long they want the conversation to last and who they want to reach.
That flexibility has helped Nigerian podcasts develop around subjects ranging from entertainment and relationships to politics, culture, religion, technology and personal development.
Technext reported, citing Spotify’s 2023 data, that podcasts such as The HonestBunch Podcast, I Said What I Said, Menisms, So Nigerian and Tea with Tay were among the prominent podcasts attracting Nigerian listeners. The report also noted that listeners aged 18 to 24 accounted for the largest share of Nigerian podcast streams.
For young audiences accustomed to consuming content through smartphones, podcasts offer something traditional broadcasting cannot always provide: the ability to listen whenever and wherever they choose.
A student can listen while travelling to class. Someone can follow an interview while exercising. Another listener can return to an episode days after it was released.
The medium therefore fits comfortably into a generation whose media habits increasingly revolve around mobile devices.
From listening to participating
The influence of podcasts goes beyond the number of people pressing play.
Podcasts have created spaces where conversations that may receive limited attention in conventional media can develop at length. Hosts and guests can discuss personal experiences, relationships, careers, culture, politics and social issues without being restricted to the shorter formats common on radio or television.
This has also changed the relationship between audiences and media personalities.
Podcast listeners often become familiar with the personalities behind the microphones. The conversational style can make programmes feel less formal, allowing hosts to build communities around particular interests and perspectives.
The growing importance of the medium was highlighted in 2025 when Nigeria held its first podcast and storytelling festival, PodFest Naija. The Guardian Nigeria reported that the event attracted more than 1,500 creators, storytellers, brands and policymakers. The report also quoted then Minister of Art, Culture and the Creative Economy Hannatu Musa Musawa describing podcasts as an important tool for shaping narratives and amplifying African voices.
The development suggests that podcasting is increasingly being recognised not simply as entertainment but as part of Nigeria’s creative and media economy.
The rise of the video podcast
Podcasting itself is also changing.While the word “podcast” traditionally brings audio programmes to mind, many successful podcasts are now distributed with video, particularly through YouTube and other social platforms.
This has allowed a single conversation to become several pieces of content: a full episode, short clips, photographs, quotes and social-media posts.
The shift is also visible internationally. Edison Research’s 2024 data showed that YouTube had become the leading service used by weekly podcast listeners in the United States, ahead of Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Research cited by Axios also found that 84 per cent of Gen Z monthly podcast listeners listened to or watched podcasts with a video component.
For Nigerian creators, the video format offers another route to discovery. A person who may never search specifically for a podcast can encounter a short clip on YouTube, Instagram, TikTok or another social platform and then be directed to the full episode.
The podcast is therefore no longer confined to the traditional idea of an audio programme.
Opportunity for young creators
The relatively accessible nature of podcast production has also lowered the barrier for young people who want to become content creators.
A creator does not necessarily need a conventional broadcasting studio to begin. Basic recording equipment, editing software and internet access can provide the foundation for a programme.
This accessibility has encouraged people from different backgrounds to tell their own stories and discuss subjects they understand.
The expansion is also creating opportunities beyond hosting. Podcasting requires producers, researchers, sound engineers, video editors, social-media managers, designers and other creative professionals.
Nigeria’s growing podcast culture therefore forms part of a broader expansion of the country’s digital creative economy.
Influence comes with responsibility
But growing influence also brings responsibility.
The informal nature of many podcasts can make conversations feel authentic and relatable, but it can also create challenges when hosts or guests discuss sensitive issues, health claims, politics or other subjects where accuracy matters.
Unlike established news organisations, not every podcast has professional editorial structures, fact-checking systems or trained journalists.
This means audiences have to distinguish between conversation, opinion and verified information.
The challenge becomes particularly important as podcasts increasingly discuss public affairs. A popular host can potentially reach a large audience, meaning an inaccurate statement can travel far beyond the original episode once clips are shared across social media.
Influence, therefore, is not simply about having a large audience. It also involves how responsibly that audience is engaged.
A medium still finding its place
Podcasting in Nigeria is still developing, but its growth over recent years suggests that it has moved beyond being a niche form of digital media.
From the 222 per cent growth reported by Technext between 2021 and 2022 to the 482 per cent increase reported by The Guardian Nigeria, citing Spotify, between 2022 and 2024, the available figures point to substantial growth in Nigerian podcast consumption.
The emergence of dedicated podcast events, the growing presence of Nigerian shows on major streaming platforms and the movement toward video-based podcasting all point in the same direction: podcasts are becoming an increasingly important part of how Nigerians create and consume stories.
For young Nigerians in particular, the microphone has become more than a recording device.
It can be a newsroom, a classroom, a stage, a business and a space for conversation.
And as more people listen, watch and participate, podcasts are steadily becoming another powerful voice in Nigeria’s evolving media landscape.
