The President of the Association of Tourism Practitioners of Nigeria (ATPN), Femi Fadina, has called on Nigerians in the diaspora to transform their annual festive homecomings into strategic investment opportunities capable of boosting the nation’s creative economy.
Fadina made the appeal in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Lagos, ahead of the 2025 “Detty December” celebrations.
He urged Nigerians abroad to view their visits not merely as occasions for fun but as opportunities for cultural and financial reinvestment.
“Every concert, every curated experience, every cultural homecoming can—and should—be a conversion funnel for investment engagement,” Fadina said.
According to him, the ATPN’s goal is to reposition Detty December “from fun to fund,” aiming to increase diaspora participation in Nigeria’s creative economy from a residual 15 per cent to an active 25 per cent investment interest.
“Don’t just come home to party. Come home to partner,” he added.
The tourism leader observed that while a significant portion of diaspora spending currently goes toward family support, entertainment, and short-term consumption, there is a pressing need to redirect that spending toward sustainable development.
“The challenge isn’t the volume of spending, it’s the direction of spending,” Fadina noted.
He revealed that the 2024 Detty December generated about N1.5 trillion in domestic spending across sectors such as hospitality, logistics, nightlife, and entertainment, but less than 10 per cent of that amount was reinvested into creative infrastructure or destination development.
As part of efforts to drive change, Fadina announced a calendar of events for the 2025 festive season, including a Creative Capital Week, the EWA Experience Series, and a Cultural Economy Roundtable designed to measure the economic impact of the celebrations.
He stressed that a shift in mindset toward the upcoming festivities was key to converting Nigeria’s soft power into tangible economic growth.
“We must move from consumerism to capital formation, from temporary spectacle to sustainable structure, from cultural excitement to cultural enterprise.
“Detty December is not just a party, it’s a platform for prosperity. Fun must now fund the future,” Fadina said.