Nigeria’s celebratory ‘detty December’ turns sombre amid economic woes

Lagos, Nigeria – Fade Bey’s Decembers are usually packed with activities. “I can’t buy for one person and leave other people standing, and I have also refused to receive gifts from people because I don’t want to feel indebted.” Bey is not the only one abstaining from this year’s “detty December” – a monthlong end-of-year extravaganza popular in Nigeria and across West Africa filled with concerts, carnivals, beach activities, bar and restaurant visits, among others. It’s a stark reminder of how declining purchasing power and inflation are reshaping Nigeria’s social and cultural traditions.” Detty December Festivities are popular in cities and towns across Nigeria, with small street carnivals, communal festivals, food and fireworks taking centre stage in many places in December. ‘I Just Got Backs’ One group that has come to be synonymous with detty December is IJGBs – or Nigerians living in the diaspora who return home for visits, and have earned the moniker “I Just Got Backs”. “This means the imbalance in Nigerian society has become more glaring, the gap between the super-wealthy and the poor widening, as Nigeria’s middle class falls from striving to survival.” Most Nigerians have seen their income erode due to inflation and currency devaluation and the average person spends more than 65 percent of their salary on food, according to the UN.