We can already see the Christmas sales appearing. Event tickets are going on sale, businesses are announcing festive packages, families are discussing travel plans, and people abroad are booking flights home.
Nigeria is gradually getting ready for Detty December.
For many Nigerians in the diaspora, it is one of the most anticipated periods of the year. It is a chance to come home, attend weddings and concerts, visit family, meet old friends, eat familiar food and experience the energy they have watched online throughout the year.
An industry report cited by BusinessDay estimated that Lagos recorded ₦396.54 billion in consumer spending during the 2025 season, with diaspora visitors accounting for more than half. Accommodation received the largest share, followed by entertainment, food, transport, fashion, retail and wellness.
Maybe your business has benefited from December spending before. Perhaps you noticed the opportunity too late last year. Or you assumed it was only for hotels, restaurants, short-let operators, fashion brands and event planners.
This is the period to start preparing. Here is what you should do now.
1. Decide Which Customer You Want to Serve
“People celebrating Christmas” is too broad. Choose a group whose needs you understand.
You could target returning diaspora visitors, families hosting guests, companies planning end-of-year activities, event vendors handling more bookings, parents looking for holiday activities, or professionals preparing to launch something in January.
Each group spends differently. A visitor may pay for convenience, speed and local knowledge. A company may need reliable vendors and proper invoices. A busy event vendor may pay someone else to handle administrative work so that no booking is forgotten.
Choose the customer, then ask what becomes difficult, urgent or time-consuming for them in December.
2. Create a December Version of What You Already Offer
You do not need to start selling food or managing short-let apartments because December is approaching.
A mechanic could offer a pre-travel vehicle check. A cleaner could create a before-and-after-party service. A photographer could offer short family portrait sessions. A virtual assistant could manage bookings and WhatsApp enquiries. A tutor could organise holiday revision classes.
A designer could sell invitations, menus and social media graphics as one package. A bookkeeper could offer a year-end records clean-up. Digital products such as travel checklists, event-budget templates, editable invitations or January planning workbooks can also sell.
Even Kudi Konsult can position company registration for the season by targeting returning diaspora Nigerians and employees planning a January business. The message could be: “Use December to formalise the business you want to launch next year.”
3. Make the Offer Clear and Convenient
Customers should immediately understand what they are buying. State who the offer is for, what it includes, the price, delivery date and last day to order.
December is also a good time to bundle related products or services. A cleaner and decorator could offer a “Party Ready Home” package. A photographer and makeup artist could create a family portrait bundle. A baker could offer corporate gift boxes in three sizes.
Do not add unrelated items just to make the package look bigger. Calculate every product, partner fee, packaging and delivery cost before setting the price.
4. Start Reaching Customers Before December
Returning diaspora visitors often make plans before entering Nigeria. Reach them through Instagram, LinkedIn, diaspora and alumni groups, or partnerships with travel planners, serviced apartments and event organisers.
For local customers, use WhatsApp, workplace communities, churches, professional groups and previous customer lists. Contact past buyers instead of waiting for them to remember you.
Focus your message on the problem you solve. “Book your December family photographs before 30 November” is stronger than “We are available for all your photography needs.”
5. Test Before You Spend Heavily
Show the offer to previous customers, publish a sample or accept a limited number of paid pre-orders. Their response will tell you whether the idea is attractive, confusing or wrongly priced.
Five deposits are better evidence than fifty people commenting, “I’m interested.”
Final Word
Detty December creates opportunities, but simply adding “festive” to an ordinary offer will not make customers buy. Start preparing now, understand who you want to serve and create something that solves a real December problem. The businesses that benefit most will be those that make the season easier, faster or more enjoyable for their customers.
