FG to start push for 2026 Detty December in March — Hannatu Musawa

Hannatu Musawa, minister of art, culture and creative economy, has disclosed that the federal government will begin preparations for the 2026 Detty December as early as March.

Musawa made this known during an interview on MIC ON, a podcast hosted by Seun Okinbaloye, where she assessed the impact of the 2025 Detty December festivities.

According to her, the season delivered more benefits than challenges, with tourism inflow and overall economic impact largely positive.

Detty December refers to Nigeria’s end-of-year celebrations marked by concerts, parties and other social events, particularly in Lagos, which has increasingly become a major destination for tourists during the period.

While acknowledging the gains, the minister identified key challenges that affected the festivities, including inadequate accommodation, price inflation by service providers and traffic congestion.

She said these issues require regulation to ensure the season remains attractive to both visitors and residents.

“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 that we are looking at,” she said.

Musawa noted that Lagos has firmly established itself as a global December destination but stressed the need to spread festive activities across the country.

“Obviously, when you talk about December now anywhere in the world, Lagos is really the choice destination for anyone to come,” she said.

“We are, however, hoping to expand this by creating more activities and content across the country. For instance, during December, you have the Calabar Festival, as well as several activities in Enugu, Plateau, and other parts of the South East.

“These are some of the areas we hope that in the coming December, we will have more content to attract people to experience other parts of Nigeria.”

The minister added that preparations for the next Detty December would start early, with plans already in motion to involve relevant government agencies.

“We are going to start the push for this year’s Detty December in March. The paper that is going to go out to the Federal Executive Council, to bring in all the necessary interdependencies that will help in delivering a fantastic festive season in Lagos, is something that is going to start in March,” she said.

She also expressed optimism that improvements in infrastructure would enhance the experience for visitors, particularly with developments at the Lagos airport.

“And of course, by the end of the year, you are going to have the Lagos airport ready, so that is going to be a different experience altogether. Having a new airport coming in Lagos, in that new space, is going to help,” Musawa added.

Musawa further emphasized the need for greater federal support for Lagos during the festive season, especially in funding and infrastructure development.

“The endowment fund that we are hoping to present will allow them to do that. And of course, the infrastructure. The infrastructure is really not there. Bring in more hotels, more five-star hotels, and more upper-class hotels,” she said.

She also pointed to ongoing efforts by both the federal and Lagos State governments to address traffic challenges but warned that overpricing could undermine Nigeria’s appeal as a December destination.

“Of course, I know the Ministry of Works is working very hard, and the Lagos State Government are working very hard in bringing in more roads and the flyovers, so that in terms of the traffic, I know the traffic is always a bit of a nightmare. So those are some of the negatives: the traffic and the overpricing.

“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. Because then, if we overprice, it now comes into being an elitist sort of thing, and that is not what we are as Nigeria.”

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