Ah, December in Lagos — the season of jollof rice and revelry, when the city transforms into a kaleidoscope of lights, laughter, and endless queues at petrol stations. Let me be the first to wish you “compliments of the season”, our ceremonial greeting of this special period which is huge for capitalism, copious consumption of food/alcohol and of course a sprinkle of delusion.
The purpose of this writeup is to share my observation on what/how Nigerians typically spend to survive…yes, we are simply trying to survive in this “new dispensation”…unless you are with the 1%.
If there’s one thing Nigerians excel at, it’s making a celebration out of thin air…even in this economy. But let’s not kid ourselves; the truth has always been that not everyone is celebrating on the same budget, especially now that Nigeria faces some of its toughest economic challenges ever.
When you look at how people operate in this city, the economic hierarchy is glaring, even as we all shop side by side in Lagos’ markets and malls; as some push around shopping carts filled with almost everything in the store, others transform the same cart into a stroller for their excited toddler and barely purchase up to 3 items…a half eaten pack of biscuits, some diapers and packs of Caprisonne. This reality could be applied country wide, but for the sake of this piece, I will stick to my home base Lagos.
Let’s start with the dominant 1%, our champagne connoisseurs and designer-label devotees. For the ones that travel back to Lagos this time of the year and those who aren’t already chasing their ‘White Christmas’ fantasies abroad, December is oftentimes a grand occasion riddled with exclusive parties, fireworks, and matching pajamas. Gifting their kids, partners and concubines the latest tech gadgets and stuff.
Their motto? “If it’s not luxury, it’s not worth it.” These folks shop as if the Naira hasn’t been free-falling since the start of the year. And why not? When $10,000 converts into millions of Naira, the options are as endless as their bank balances, which are so mind blowing that the middle and lower class Nigerians may be left shell-shocked at seeing their bank statements.
Adding spice to the December chaos are our diaspora brethren. Armed with dollars and a distinct sense of grandeur, they descend on Nigeria like royalty. Suddenly, you are hearing all kinds of foreign accents and watching them get escorted by police men armed to the teeth like we are in war times. They’re the ones ordering lobster and champagne at every restaurant and gifting “small hampers” stuffed with imported goodies. The local vendors love them because this group helps elevate the informal sector tremendously when they are in town.
Next, we have the middle class — or what’s left of it. These are the folks desperately trying to keep up appearances. Life is not easy for the middle class Lagosian, they just won the fight against snooty neighbors and ‘village people’. They are not in the mood for anything but their job(s), side hustles and ‘Japa’ plans. Christmas for them is another opportunity to social climb and find greener pastures. Canada is just a few steps away.
Take Onome, a financial services employee who lives in Ajah but commutes to Obalende for work in rusty “danfo” buses most times, except the occasional Uber. She has to leave home each day before the crack of dawn to deal with crazy bus conductors and traffic. It wasn’t always like this, Onome recently sold her car to cover part of the skyrocketing rent for the next year because all other earnings are going towards her family’s immigration to the UK, yet she and her husband are somehow scraping together funds to buy their two kids matching Christmas outfits and paying a visit to the cinemas.
She’s the one you’ll find at the mall clasping her hands over her head and sighing dramatically at the price of frozen chicken before muttering, “It’s cheaper outside.”, where ‘outside’ is may not be clear, but she will find that cheaper chicken somehow in the local markets. Her wig is unbrushed, her knees bandaged from too many unfortunate ‘okada’ rides, but her spirit? Unbroken.
For the majority who fall into the lower-income bracket, the focus is on survival first, celebration second. People in this category will be content with a decent meal and light hearted banter with friends and family. For many, leaving the all too expensive city of Lagos is an annual tradition, because “Christmas in the village is sweeter”…more like; affordable and less chaotic if you ask me.
This group is known for stretching every Naira to afford staples like rice, tomatoes, “groundnut oil” and a live chicken in a black plastic bag, with a small hole cutout for its head to poke out…you know what i am talking about, if not, you probably don’t live in these parts.
A big treat might be a pack of soft drinks for the kids. Yet, even in these tough times, generosity tends to thrive more within these humble groups. Families share what little they have, embodying the spirit of community that defines Nigerians. I remember as a kid being sent off by my mum with a tray of food for the neighbors and receiving small monetary gifts and kind words. It was one of my first experiences of the uplifting feeling that comes with genuine kindness. Fast forward to today, i just hope people still accept food from their neighbors; ordinarily this shouldn’t be a problem, but there have been too many Nollywood movies with Mama G (Patience Ozokwor) sprinkling poison in food, which unfortunately is embedded in the psyche if some Nigerians.
Switching gears a little, lets talk about ‘Detty December’ in Lagos and how possible it is to afford anything these days. For those who have been saving for this period congratulations, now you can spend it all! Lagos has a way of sucking you dry if you are on a spending spree, so budget and be wise…or not, its not my money…lol.
Unfortunately, the Lagos ‘Detty December’ experience has lost some of its luster. Iconic spots like Good Beach and Landmark Beach have been demolished to make way for a highway construction not even the less popular beaches like Lekki Leisure were spared. This has left tourists and locals scrambling for alternatives, while vendors and workers who relied on these hotspots continue to face significant economic losses. This was a significant blow to tourism in Lagos state and seriously affected the sector negatively from my observation. A coastal city with no accessible beaches is a sad disaster.
As a result, shopping malls and lounges have become the default hangout, but it does not appeal to all types of visitors. For the local Lagosians who have limited options for the holiday festivities, watch out for the mobs of kids and families in matching Christmas outfits roaming the aisles of supermarkets and shopping malls, some buying, others just window-shopping—or more accurately, “window-sighing” at the prices and settling for pictures and selfies.
The December shopping season leading up to the festivities in Nigeria is a microcosm of our society: layered, complicated, but ultimately filled with resilience and heart. So, whether you’re buying hampers for your boss or just enough rice to last the week, remember that the season is about giving and receiving — and maybe a little indulgence in between.
Don’t forget to DM me your party invitations, preferably the ones organised by diaspora visitors…its for research purposes i promise.
Thank you for reading this far, I tried to do something different by adding a bit more humour and light hearted takes on our current realities living and working in this corner of the globe.
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