The podcast – a portmanteau for ‘iPod’ and ‘broadcast’ – has its advent traced back to 2004 when BBC journalist Ben Hammersly used it in an article for The Guardian newspaper. Prior to then, this form of digital media was referred to as ”audio-blogging”. 

Although this media form has been around for a while, it has taken its time to simmer and worm its way into pop culture, and more so in Africa. In Nigeria, in particular, some of the earliest podcasts started in the early 2010s and most of these early adopters were people exposed to global digital creation. Since then, the podcasting subculture has grown in leaps and bounds.

Everyday, new podcast shows spring up that are shaping the cultural landscape, particularly among millennials and Gen Z. The introduction of Spotify to the Nigerian market has equally increased the popularity of podcasts in the nation. Podcasts have an especially unique advantage as the cost to the consumer is relatively low with most episodes available for free download, which can be argued as a factor in the speedy growth in the Nigerian market.