The President of the Association of Tourism Practitioners of Nigeria (ATPN), Femi Fadina, has urged Nigerians in the diaspora to transform their annual festive homecomings, popularly known as Detty December, into strategic investment opportunities that will strengthen the nation’s creative and tourism economy.
Fadina made the appeal during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Lagos.
Speaking ahead of the 2025 Detty December celebrations, the ATPN president encouraged diaspora Nigerians to view the season not just as a time for leisure, but as an avenue for cultural and financial reinvestment.
“Every concert, every curated experience, every cultural homecoming can—and should—serve as a funnel for investment engagement,” he said.
Fadina explained that the ATPN’s goal is to reposition Detty December from being a season of “fun” to a source of “funds,” by increasing diaspora participation in Nigeria’s creative economy from a residual 15% to an active 25% investment interest.
“Don’t just come home to party. Come home to partner,” he added.
He noted that while a significant portion of diaspora spending currently goes into family support, entertainment, and short-term consumption, more effort is needed to channel this capital into long-term development and equity investments.
“The challenge isn’t the volume of spending—it’s the direction of spending,” Fadina said.
“The 2024 Detty December generated about ₦1.5 trillion in domestic spending across hospitality, logistics, nightlife, and entertainment, but less than 10% of that was reinvested into creative infrastructure or destination development.”
Fadina also unveiled ATPN’s calendar of events for the 2025 festive season, which includes the Creative Capital Week, EWA Experience Series, and a Cultural Economy Roundtable designed to measure and enhance the economic impact of the celebrations.
He stressed the need for a change in mindset, saying that transforming Nigeria’s soft power into tangible economic growth requires a deliberate shift in perspective.
“We must move from consumerism to capital formation, from temporary spectacle to sustainable structure, from cultural excitement to cultural enterprise.
Detty December is not just a party—it’s a platform for prosperity. Fun must now fund the future.”
