December has always represented a festive and communal atmosphere in Nigeria. Work closes, families reunite, and brands spike prices of goods to match the pockets of those who have been saving specifically for Christmas. Nigerians in the diaspora also come back to various parts of the country to reunite and enjoy a week or two of freedom.
In cities like Lagos, the yearly return of Nigerians in the diaspora and other tourists has become a key feature of what constitutes Christmas in Lagos. Popularly called “Detty December”, this season consists of numerous concerts, events, and curated experiences dedicated to providing both Lagosians and returnees a taste of the city’s famed artistic and musical fervour.
The Detty December season in Lagos provides an opportunity for the Nigerian economy to benefit immensely from the influx of Nigerians in the diaspora and Black people looking to have a taste of arguably West Africa’s largest cultural hotspot. According to an independent study conducted by MO Africa Company Limited, the Lagos Detty December season of 2024 attracted 1.2 million visitors and generated an approximate of £55.4 million in revenue. Clearly, there is potential to be mined here.
Lagos, as a city, not only has the above potential. It is also the powerhouse of creative communities in Nigeria. Therefore, an exploration of Lagos in December represents a chance for outsiders and Lagosians to reconnect with what makes the city tick and to do this free of the constraints of work-related obligations.
From specially curated raves to beach hangouts and the concerts that keep the city even more alive in December, the Detty December season in Lagos fosters not just the creative economy but also the ability of Lagosians to connect with those in the diaspora. This connection with those at home and the diaspora is at the heart of the Detty December period. It is a season that reunites and bridges the gap between the Nigerian diaspora and those at home, including those interested in transnational business dealings.
Lagos State has dealt more pointedly with the issue of poor drainage systems in recent years. Although Detty December falls during the dry season and normally would not be prone to the rain that leaves most parts of Lagos in despair, the state has a problem with proper waste disposal. To give a good example of this, one only needs to examine two scenarios. First, it is not uncommon for waste from drained gutters in Lagos to be left exposed in a single spot for weeks and sometimes even months until rain comes to inevitably wash off the same waste into the gutters.
Second, a quick trip to parts of Lagos like Obalende can give an insight as to why Lagos has an acrid smell. Obalende is home to multiple refuse dumps that exist in the waters beneath the flyover bridges that connect mainland Lagos to the island. Now, picture a Nigerian from the diaspora who has read about how Obalende lights up at night in Chimamanda Adichie’s Americanah and wishes to experience the drinking spots, street food, and overall charm.
Imagine that they are met with the gory sight of waste littered and the awful smell that arises from dried waste excavated from gutters? Would that experience not create a cognitive dissonance where as much as they try to reconcile the smell encountered with the beauty of Lagos and Obalende–because there is indeed beauty in Lagos–they find themselves unable to properly look forward to another trip to Obalende in all honesty? They find themselves either doing that or getting caught up in the facade of downplaying their negative experiences in order not to appear unpatriotic or a rude outsider.
There is also the issue of adequate security and the lack of sensitivity that the police and security personnel tend to have. One has to remember that a huge part of partying in Lagos at any time of the year, and particularly in December, is the nightlife.
Nigeria has seen an increased level of kidnappings and attacks by terrorists. It may seem to some that Lagos is immune to terrorist attacks, but it has its fair share of pickpocketing and armed robbery attacks. However, the police in Lagos cannot always be trusted to be on the side of citizens should their support and protection be needed.
Other issues, such as the famed Lagos traffic that keeps people on the road for hours, increased rates of transportation around the city, and the poor infrastructure, can prevent the Detty December period from truly being an enjoyable one.
For instance, a combination of factors like the bad road network and traffic often sees the cost of rides from ride-hailing apps spike during the non-Christmas season. During Christmas, however, these issues lead to far higher increments of transport fares; one that can prevent people attending events from adequately budgeting.
So, after all of the highlights on how Lagos may falter on an unspoken promise of providing top-notch tourism in December, what then is the way forward?
The main way forward is for citizens to continue to hold the Lagos State government accountable for its actions and inactions. While Nigerians in the diaspora may come for a month and leave by January, the issues highlighted in this piece are issues that plague Lagosians all year. There should be more insistence that the Lagos State government declare an intentional action plan to restore the state from issues of environmental pollution.
The recent state of Lagos and Nigeria as a collective means that one must interrogate how and if the country can reinvent itself to deliver the best experience of Detty December for those visiting this Christmas.
We must also ask ourselves if Lagos has what it takes to measure up to the expected standards as the cultural and industrial hub of Nigeria’s creative and tourism landscape.
