With Detty December still loading, Tidy December is revving
by FotizoPhronesis | 2025-12-08 16:12:47+00:00
For want of a better expression, let’s call it Tidy December. While the term sounds strange, consider it a counterforce to the Detty December you know. If theirs glamorises indiscretions, ours should extol discretion. Society gleefully indulges in Detty as a cultural fest, thereby missing out on what packs a more enduring value and heightens the euphoria around Yuletide.

Over this weekend, there were iterations of Tidy December from Lagos to Abuja, Gboko to Kaduna. Just as Detty December draws Nigerians in the diaspora home, guests from all over the world trooped to the country for these spiritual encounters. Lives were transformed through salvation with attendant miracles, signs and wonders!

This piece will try not to be biased towards any, even though the Detty explosion has been defined as letting loose and indulging in fun and revelry without any care in the world. Who are we to judge how someone chooses to unwind after a strenuous year or impugn the morality of their rivalries? It’s heartwarming that these year-end jollities aren’t a one-way street. There are shouts of joy (not happiness) in the camp of the Lord! About the time that people of the world make merry and splurge, Kingdom citizens are joyfully living it up to the glory of God. Tidy December activities are free, just like Salvation; the same cannot be said for Detty December events, where the entry fee digs a hole in the pocket. Beyond the expenses, it is left for the fun-seeker to determine whether to go where they will return soiled or cleansed!

Meanwhile, both raves cannot be deemed an apple-and-orange parallel – the one is cultural while the other is faith-based. They are both inspired by music - Detty is secular, while Tidy is gospel. We understand that Nigerian Afrobeat star, Mr Eazi pioneered the term Detty December in 2016 when he used it as a hashtag to promote his first concert in Lagos. Other notable shows, including Wizkid’s “Made in Lagos” homecoming, Burna Boy’s “Lagos Loves Damini”, and Davido’s “Timeless” tour, have all conspired in crystallising the idea into the pop culture it currently is.

The situation isn’t much different from the Tidy December variant, where soul-searing and faith-boosting music is a major attraction. The Experience staged by The House on the Rock is a two-decade-strong yearly celebration of worship, prayer, and music. The free music concert, which took place at Tafawa Balewa Square in Lagos Friday night, was such a talk of the town that it topped the trends chart on X. One of the ministers at the all-night meeting, Pastor Poju Oyemade said, “The Experience is the largest gathering of worshippers globally.” A highlight of the Jesus United fest was the offering of prophetic prayers for churches in northern Nigeria, given the underlying currents to the United States’ designation of Nigeria as a country of particular concern.

Moving on, enchanting music ministration was also a major component of Dominion City’s Night of Glory, which took place the same Friday in Abuja. An array of A-rated gospel artists catapulted hundreds of thousands of worshippers into the heavenly realm. So many lives and destinies were impacted as Pastor David Ogbueli and other anointed vessels ministered at the crammed Moshood Abiola National Stadium. Worthy of mention is the case of a young man whose mom died shortly after giving birth to him. He was under a violent affliction of insanity until his miraculous deliverance at the Night of Glory. While sharing his testimony, Dr Ogbueli saw that the young man, who doesn’t even have a formal education, has a glorious destiny and was meant to lift several people out of poverty. He offered him a million Naira as seed capital and handed the young man over to be mentored by an investment banker who flew in from Canada. And there goes someone whose entire life, not just his December, is now tidied up!

Read the full article here: https://fotizo.substack.com/p/with-detty-december-still-loading