Detty December, COVID-19 And Rising Insecurity In Nigeria

One of the months Nigerians and other nationals look forward to is the month of December. The month, which is filled with festivities, non-stop parties, events and headline concerts. One major thing Lagosians anticipate is ‘Detty December’, which means extravagant and lavish spending in December.

Detty December has transcended culture, religion and ethnicity and has come to stay. It was said that the phrase was coined by Nigerian music artist, Mr Eazi when he returned to Nigeria from Ghana a few years ago.

The first thing to welcome the month of December is the hashtag #DettyDecember. On social media, Nigerian youths disclose their budgets and their plans to party hard during the festive season.

Youths grooving at one of the events organised in December (Photo credit: Wonderland magazine)

The slang Detty December has come to stay as one of the slangs in Lagos and in Nigeria. Even Nigerians living abroad always look forward to coming back home and partying with friends, family and loved ones. These Nigerians mostly youths, nicknamed I Just Got Back (IJGB) return to the country in droves to participate in one of the world’s biggest festive fiestas.

However, Detty December was not experienced in 2020 due to the outbreak of COVID-19 in Nigeria. The outbreak of the pandemic resulted in partial and total lockdown put in place by the Nigerian Government to curb the dreaded disease. The COVID-19 outbreak affected different sectors in the country including the aviation and entertainment industry.

The virus disrupted the “Detty December” plan as Nigerians abroad couldn’t come into the country to be part of the Christmas extravaganzas. Activities like tours, live performances, shows, and album releases were cancelled and conversations were taken to virtual platforms.

However, 2021 has been good for the entertainment industry. Concerts, award ceremonies and other shows which were suspended last year due to COVID-19, have bounced back this year. Unfortunately, the detection of the Omicron variant of Coronavirus in Nigeria and the rising cases of insecurity in the country has threatened to affect this year’s ‘Detty December plans.

Some youths at a concert (Photo credit: IstNews)

The security challenges in the country have only been experienced in some states, especially in the North West, North East and South-East regions. Bandits and Boko Haram terrorists have turned the Northern region into a living hell while suspected members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and unknown gunmen have reigned terror in the South East.

Amidst the challenges, Lagos, being the capital of the entertainment industry in the country, has been fortunate to be peaceful and relatively free from the activities of criminals such as kidnapping and others. With all that has happened from last year till now, Nigerian youths no doubt need the Detty December cruise to have the most fun and forget the struggles of the last eleven months.

If you are in Lagos, below are some of the upcoming events to attend in other to spice up your Detty December:

Starboy Live – Lagos

Artiste: Wizkid

A Decade of Davido – Lagos

Artiste: Davido

Big Name Concert – Lagos

Artiste: Patoranking

Burna Boy The Live Experience – Lagos

Artiste: Burna Boy

Vibes on the Beach with Big Wiz -Lagos

Artist: Wizkid

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