The President of the Association of Tourism Practitioners of Nigeria (ATPN), Femi Fadina, has urged Nigerians in the diaspora to convert their annual festive visits into strategic investments to strengthen the country’s creative economy.
Fadina made the appeal in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria on Monday in Lagos, ahead of the 2025 “Detty December” celebrations.
He said the holiday period, popular for concerts and cultural events, should serve not only as a social gathering but also as a platform to channel capital into long-term development.
“Every concert, every curated experience, every cultural homecoming can — and should — be a conversion funnel for investment engagement,” he said. “Don’t just come home to party. Come home to partner.”
Fadina noted that diaspora spending largely goes toward family support, entertainment, and short-term consumption. He said the challenge was not the size of spending but its direction, stressing the need to convert diaspora capital into development capital.
Citing industry data, he said the 2024 Detty December activities generated about N1.5 trillion in domestic spending across hospitality, logistics, nightlife, and entertainment, but less than 10 percent was reinvested in creative infrastructure or destination development.
He said the ATPN’s goal is to increase diaspora participation in Nigeria’s creative economy from an estimated 15 percent to about 25 percent. This, he explained, would involve shifting the focus of the festivities “from fun to fund.”
To support this shift, Fadina announced a calendar of events for 2025, including Creative Capital Week, the EWA Experience Series, and a Cultural Economy Roundtable to measure economic impact.
He stressed that changing mindsets around year-end festivities will be crucial to converting Nigeria’s cultural influence into sustainable growth. “Detty December is not just a party; it’s a platform for prosperity. Fun must now fund the future,” he said.
