DETTY December, a popular term for Ghana and Nigeria’s end-of-year party season, can have “negative connotations”, Ghana’s official for diaspora affairs has said, adding that he does not want the label linked with his country.
“On a personal level I don’t want the word ‘detty’ to be associated with anything Ghana… that’s something I’m not very comfortable with,” Kofi Okyere-Darko said.
“Detty”, West African Pidgin for “dirty”, is used to express unrestricted fun when it comes to seeing the year out.
The celebrations are thought to be a huge boost to Ghana’s economy. Last December more than 125,000 international visitors, many of whom were diasporans, flocked to Ghana.
It was a notable increase from the number of people arriving during any other month – and the same can be said for the three years before that.
Government branding avoids the term Detty December instead choosing to push a tourism initiative named December in Ghana, Mr Okyere-Darko, who oversees his country’s relationship with its sizeable diaspora, told the BBC at the Ghana Diaspora Summit in capital city, Accra.
“The young people somehow prefer ‘Detty December’, but officially, that’s not the name,” he said.
“I don’t think December is what attracts people to Ghana. People started coming to Ghana a long time ago. I remember December in Ghana at the turn of the millennium, with initiatives like Akwaaba UK.
Mr Okyere-Darko responded positively to suggestions that the season could be rebranded in a way that still appeals to younger audiences, saying that December in Ghana could be shortened to the initials “D.I.G.. Let’s dig it!”
The phrase Detty December gained popularity roughly eight years ago, after Nigerian musician Mr Eazi launched his Detty Rave festival in Accra.
This December, festivals, parties and concerts have Accra teeming with diasporans and other tourists. They are mostly from the US and Europe, with ages ranging from early 20s and mid-40s, and are out socialising seven days a week.
US hip-hop legend Busta Rhymes performed in Accra as part of the Rhythm and Brunch concert on Saturday, while popular UK rapper Giggs is playing at the Afro Paradise festival on 31 December.
Local stars such as Samini – considered to be the “godfather” of Ghanaian dancehall – and Reggie Rockstone will also play at major events later this month.
Ghana in recent years has been promoting itself as a destination for people from the continent and the African diaspora to visit. In 2019, the government launched the Year of Return – an initiative encouraging those with African roots to invest in the country.
The influx of foreign visitors in December is seen as a positive by many, but some locals complain of price gouging, overcrowding and intense traffic during this period.
This year has proven that December in Ghana no longer revolves around non-stop partying.
Alongside the expected concerts and festivals, there is a growing calendar of investment seminars, networking sessions and cultural showcases, offering the diaspora routes into property, minerals, fashion and textiles.