Minister says early preparations will address accommodation shortages, overpricing, traffic congestion, and expand festivities beyond Lagos to boost nationwide tourism.

The Federal Government has announced plans to commence preparations for the 2026 Detty December celebrations as early as March, in a bid to consolidate gains from previous editions and tackle persistent challenges that threaten the sustainability of the annual festivities.

The Minister of Art, Culture and the Creative Economy, Hannatu Musawa, disclosed this while speaking on MIC ON, a podcast hosted by Seun Okinbaloye. She explained that an ongoing review of the 2025 Detty December showed that the season recorded more positives than negatives, particularly in terms of tourism inflow and economic impact.

Detty December, Nigeria’s end-of-year celebration period characterised by concerts, parties, festivals and social events, has grown into a major attraction for both local and international tourists, with Lagos serving as the epicentre.

According to Musawa, key challenges observed during the 2025 celebrations included inadequate accommodation, excessive pricing by service providers, and severe traffic congestion, especially in Lagos. She noted that these issues require urgent regulation to prevent the season from becoming inaccessible and elitist.

“Presently, we are doing an interrogation of the 2025 Detty December. I would say more positives than the negatives. For the negatives, the lack of accommodation and overpricing of the vendors, which I think is the major issue on the table,” the minister said.

She revealed that the Federal Government plans to decentralise Detty December activities by promoting major events in other states such as Calabar, Enugu and Plateau, as part of efforts to spread tourism benefits across the country and reduce pressure on Lagos.

“We are, however, hoping to expand this by creating more activities and content across the country. We are going to start the push for this year’s Detty December in March,” Musawa added.

The minister also expressed optimism that the completion of a new airport in Lagos would significantly improve visitors’ experience, while stressing the need for increased investment in infrastructure, hospitality, and creative industry funding.

Musawa further called on relevant authorities to address the issues of overpricing and traffic management, warning that unchecked costs could discourage tourists and weaken Nigeria’s growing reputation as a prime December destination.

“Certainly, I think the government has to come in to bring some sanity in terms of the pricing so that people can come into Nigeria, and we do not lose the effect of Nigeria being the place to come in December,” she stated.

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