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Across Lagos’s sprawling highway system, traffic jams can stretch for hours, grinding vehicles to a halt and fraying tempers. Yet, for some gospel artists, the very chaos of a standstill becomes fertile ground for worship music. In March 2022, awardwinning minister Ewomaoghene LutherAbegunde (professionally known as Elwoma) told The Sun Nigeria that she often composes entire songs during Lagos gridlock, sketching lyrics and melodies between horn blasts and brake lights. This uncommon creative process speaks to a broader truth: worship can arise in the most unlikely of places.

Elwoma’s TrafficBorn Creativity

Elwoma first made headlines when she confessed, “I write songs in Lagos traffic,” noting that her motherofthree schedule and weekly Instagram series Fun/True Facts Behind the Songs We Sing often find her jotting new choruses on the dashboard while stationary on Third Mainland Bridge. Though she did not name a single song as “written” in traffic, her recent rhythmic single “Beautiful Is Your Name” (released February 2022) was “borne out of an experience in 2020” during one such jam, she told The Sun. This dual testimony (that she writes anywhere inspiration strikes, even amid congestion) underscores how everyday environments shape gospel artistry.

Other TrafficInspired Moments in Nigerian Music

While Elwoma’s case is the clearest documentation, traffic has long informed Nigerian songwriting. Fela Kuti’s 1975 Afrobeat opus Confusion meditates on Lagos’s “inextricable traffic jams,” though it remains secular rather than gospel in genre. Even visiting gospel stars like Byron Cage have recorded their astonishment at Lagos gridlock, lamenting “no traffic signs… no stop lights” on Instagram: testimony to the city’s congested reality. Though these anecdotes don’t specify composition, they contextualize the sensory backdrop against which Nigerian musicians create.

Spiritual Resonance of Gridlock Worship

Composing worship music while literally stopped in one of the world’s most congested cities carries potent symbolism: even when life halts, praise moves forward. Elwoma’s ability to transform frustration into faithfilled lyricism exemplifies this paradox, offering listeners a template for finding God in every circumstance. The public’s warm reception of songs like “Beautiful Is Your Name” (streamed across Spotify and Boomplay) suggests that many resonate with worship born out of everyday struggles.

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Conclusion

Though only Elwoma has so far publicly claimed to write gospel songs in Lagos traffic, her testimony opens a window onto a creative practice that marries urban reality with spiritual expression. As Nigerian gospel continues to evolve, we may yet hear direct accounts of other songs conceived in gridlock. For now, Elwoma’s dashboardtostudio pipeline stands as a singular example of how, in the words of Fela’s Confusion, “even in the traffic jam, music finds its way.”

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This article was first published on 17th April 2025
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preciousgift-nwaeze

Preciousgift is an exceptionally gifted Nigerian writer with a robust theological background and an unwavering passion for gospel music. Alongside crafting uplifting gospel content, he demonstrates expertise in writing about education, communication, and technology, showcasing his remarkable versatility across various subjects.