Every December, as the year begins to wrap up there is always a familiar wave that sweeps across African cities that we all can't deny, a wave of accents, camera-ready outfits, foreign currency, and excitement wrapped in nostalgia. “IJGB — I Just Got Back” has now evolved and has become more than a slang; it has become a cultural phenomenon. For those in the city of Lagos , you can't miss it, the congestion, the influx of parties and clubbing increases at this time of the year. If you stand at the airport for instance, you would see many diasporans arriving at the airports with luggages full of gifts, borrowed accents, big dreams, and the confidence of people who have tasted the “other side.” Their arrival usually marks the beginning of Detty December, a season where the continent transforms into a global reunion, blending diaspora energy with homegrown resilience.

But beneath the loud parties, the glamorous concerts, the fully booked hotels, and the overcrowded clubs lies a deeper story: identity, belonging, and the two worlds Africans constantly navigate, home and abroad.

Let's dive into the world of the IJGB culture, the social tensions, the humour, the admiration, and the unspoken emotions that rise every December.

The Returnees and the Roots They Left Behind

The term “IJGB” started as harmless street humour, a light jab at diaspora kids who return home speaking with an accent they acquired just two months ago. But over time, it seems to have grown into some cultural identity of some sort, representing Africans abroad reconnecting with the continent in the most vibrant season of the year.

So it is safe to say that the December return is not simply a holiday. It is a re-rooting ceremony more like a reunion party for the continent.

For many diasporans, coming back is a reminder of the life they once knew, the familiar chaos of Lagos traffic, the loud laughter of aunties, the smell of homemade meals, the vibrancy of street markets, and the comfort of being surrounded by people who look like them without explanation.

But returning also comes with contradictions. They are both insiders and outsiders. They know the Afrobeats songs but confuse the current slang and trends. They love the energy of home but are shocked by the price of fuel and changes in the economy of their home country. They reconnect joyfully but feel the quiet guilt of escape, the knowledge that they left in search of something their homeland could not provide.

December makes these contradictions visible. The laughter is real, but so is the reflection.

The Unspoken Dynamics Between Locals and Returnees

For people living on the continent, December brings mixed emotions. The city becomes fuller, more expensive, more chaotic and somehow, more glamorous. Clubs double their prices. Rideshare costs skyrocket. A simple dinner reservation becomes a strategic operation of the smartest, because even business owners prioritize the IJGB gang because they seem to have the money forgetting that their real customers are those who actually live at home on the continent.

The IJGBs move with the confidence of people who know they are temporary VIPs. They are “tourists with emotional history.” They come with dollars and pounds, and that alone changes the equilibrium.

But beyond the jokes, the forced accents, the excitement over the smallest improvements at home, the constant “in the abroad…” comparisons, there is something admirable. Diasporans bring perspective. They bring exposure. They bring energy that pushes the culture forward.

And in return, locals supply authenticity. They preserve the culture that diasporans seek to reconnect with, not to lie it is a beautiful mix of literally two different world views from people of the same root. Without locals, there is no Detty December. No street credibility. No nightlife pulse. No cultural backbone.

It is a dance, sometimes awkward, sometimes funny, always revealing.

Detty December: More Than Parties,A Sense Of Identity, Belonging, and the Diaspora Reconnection

Detty December has evolved from nightlife into a full cultural ecosystem. It is a season where:

– Afrobeats performs for the world
– African fashion explodes
– Film and entertainment thrive
– Tourism hits its peak
– Local businesses make their year’s profit
– The African youth identity becomes global

From Ghana’s Afrochella (now AfroFuture) to Nigeria’s Festivals and nightlife parties, to Uganda’s Nyege Nyege, and South Africa’s Afropop’s circuit, December has become the continent’s cultural Olympics.

For diasporans, these events are not just parties, they are homecoming rituals. Moments of reconnection. Proof that Africa is not the struggling continent the global media tries to portray. In December, Africa stands confidently, loudly, and proudly.

But behind the celebration lies also an unspoken truth that many might not be voicing out: many diasporans use Detty December to test the waters of return. Could I move back? Could I build here? Could I belong again?

The continent feels like home, but life abroad feels like safety. And that tension hangs quietly in the air.

The IJGB story is ultimately a story of identity. Africans abroad constantly navigate the emotional complexity of being between cultures. They are African, but not African enough at home. They are foreigners outside the continent, but not foreign enough abroad. They belong everywhere and nowhere at the same time.

December softens this loneliness.

It reminds them that culture is not lost; it can be paused and resumed. That home does not forget them even when the world tries to rename them. That identity is not a passport, it is memory, language, food, humour, shared trauma, shared triumph.

The diaspora experience builds resilience. The African home experience builds belonging. December blends both.

Do IJGBs Help or Hurt the Continent? A Complicated Truth

There is an ongoing debate: Are diaspora returnees contributing to Africa or exploiting December for enjoyment only?

The answer is layered. Economically, they help. Diaspora remittances remain one of the largest contributors to African economies. December spending boosts local businesses, from clubs to restaurants to hotels to transportation.

Culturally, they export African identity globally — through media, fashion, and music. Socially, however, tension exists. Some locals argue that diasporans carry superiority complexes. Some diasporans argue that locals gatekeep culture and mock their accents. But these are surface-level conflicts. Underneath, both groups want the same thing, dignity, recognition, a sense of belonging.

December becomes the meeting point for these two worlds to negotiate respect and connection.

IJGB Season Is a Love Story, One Between Africans and Their Identity

At its core, the IJGB narrative is a love story. It is about leaving, longing, and returning. It is about discovering that home is not just where you come from, it is where you return to feel whole again.

December is not just Detty December. It is not just parties, coconut drinks, and amapiano. It is a collective African reunion, a reminder that although we scatter across continents chasing dreams, something still ties us to the soil that raised us.

Every December, Africans abroad come home not just to enjoy, but to remember, reconnect, rediscover, and reaffirm the roots that shaped them.

And every December, Africa opens its arms, saying, Welcome back. We kept your seat warm. So as you prepare for the festive season this December and you meet anyone from the IJGB community, connect and build a sense of oneness, we are all Africans.