The president of the Association of Tourism Practitioners of Nigeria, Femi Fadina, has called on Nigerians in the diaspora to turn their annual festive homecomings into strategic investment opportunities that would grow and sustain the nation’s creative economy.
Mr Fadina made the call in an interview on Monday in Lagos.
Speaking ahead of the 2025 Detty December celebrations, the ATPN president urged the diaspora to view their visits as an opportunity for cultural and financial reinvestment, rather than just a season for fun.
“Every concert, every curated experience, every cultural homecoming can – and should – be a conversion funnel for investment engagement,” he said.
According to Mr Fadina, ATPN aims to reposition Detty December from fun to fund, as part of a broader effort to promote 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 said.
Mr Fadina noted that a large portion of diaspora spending goes into family support, entertainment, and short-term consumption. He, however, said that efforts must be made to ensure that the diaspora capital was channelled into development capital for long-term equity investments.
“The challenge isn’t the volume of spending, it’s the direction of spending. The 2024 Detty December generated about N1.5 trillion in domestic spending across hospitality, logistics, nightlife, and entertainment. But less than 10 per cent of that was reinvested into the creative infrastructure or destination development,” he said.
Mr Fadina unveiled a calendar of events for the 2025 festive season, including a Creative Capital Week, EWA Experience Series, and a Cultural Economy Roundtable that would measure the economic impact of the celebrations.
He restated that a change of mindset toward the upcoming festivities was crucial to transforming Nigeria’s soft power into tangible 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,” he said.
(NAN)
