If you are online, you have likely heard the viral sound, “Welcome to December,” often paired with fast-paced clips of clubbing, eating, and drinking in Lagos.
December in Lagos has been hyped as a thrilling experience, tagged famously as “Detty December.” What began as an informal observation among friends about the influx of IJGBs (I Just Got Back, or diasporans) and their displays of upper-class status has evolved into a full-blown international spectacle, drawing even non-Nigerians eager to experience Lagos’s December.
However, this phenomenon has wide and often negative ramifications for the economy. Let’s analyse it: 
The Concentrated Economy: Who Truly Benefits?
The majority of the economic benefits from “Detty December” are concentrated to a narrow portion of the hospitality sector.
Hotels and short lets are the major beneficiaries of this economic boom. Because of this, owners often inflate their prices starting as early as October.
One content creator, The Oddity, shared her experience of being unable to book an Airbnb (short let) in October because the owners were intentionally holding back so as to set exorbitant December rates. They told her if she “booked for an Airbnb now, we would refund your money before December.”
Countless others have complained about astronomically high short-let prices. Imagine a space typically rented for ₦100,000 suddenly costing ₦400,000 without any fundamental change in the quality of service. But, why would they change, when it benefits only them?
In a review of the Lagos State Detty December 2024/2025 Report, Idris Aregbe, the Special Adviser to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Tourism, Arts, and Culture, stated that $71.6 million was generated in revenue across the tourism, hospitality, and entertainment sectors. Hotels alone accounted for over $44 million, while short-let apartments contributed over $13 million.
Transportation: A City Ransomed and Exploited
It is true that you can’t put a price tag on a good time, but paying ₦40,000 from Ikorodu to Lagos Island and another ₦40,000 from Lagos Island to Ikorodu is simply unreasonable. Even the shortest distances, like the next street, can cost upward of ₦6,000, and that is on a good day.
Tourists, despite the perception of their affluence, are not unaware of this exploitation. They are making currency conversions and questioning why the costs do not match with the value.
For ordinary citizens, moving around Lagos in December becomes impossible. There are gridlocks everywhere, the cost of transport is unbearable and other economic activities are halted or slowed down.
Exploitation Undermines Future Tourism
The predatory and greedy pricing risks permanently damaging Lagos’s reputation as a tourist destination.
There is viral TikTok video, for example, with a lady complaining about being charged ₦2.5 million for a single pilates class.
The unreasonable inflation of costs for goods and services, often labeled as “luxury,” is driven by short-sighted greed and will inevitably backfire.
Femi Fadina, National President of the Association of Tourist Practitioners of Nigeria (ATPN), has already voiced worries about the long-term sustainability of Nigeria’s booming “Detty December” tourism industry.
Fadina specifically highlighted key issues threatening the industry’s expansion, including rising operating expenses, poor service quality, and poor coordination throughout the tourism value chain.
He made the point that a lot of Nigeria’s tourism products are now marked by exorbitant luxury costs combined with subpar service. This discrepancy may encourage travellers to look for other places in Africa, endangering Nigeria’s tourist industry’s ability to compete.
What Will Be The Future of December in Lagos?
The stress, the traffic, the inflated transportation costs, and the price of so-called luxury experiences that often offer no real luxury have effectively taken the “Detty December” experience away from local residents and delivered it into the hands of a tourist population.
Detty December may also become a passing fad, leaving greedy vendors and service providers with the residents they attempted to price out of using their goods and services.
However, Lagos is a city of debauchery, so the more expensive things are, the more people will like to outclass each other by showing they can afford it – even if they have borrow or steal money.
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