Popular comedian and actor, Steve Onu, widely known as Yaw, has warned that Nigeria’s Dirty December season could lose its cultural and economic value if rising costs and poor regulation continue.
Yaw made this known during an interview on ARISE News on Sunday, where he said the festival, which brings together music, comedy, tourism, and lifestyle events, started naturally and should not be ruined by unchecked pricing and excessive commercialisation.
According to him, Dirty December grew without heavy planning or government backing and became popular simply because people came into the country to have fun.
“This whole Dirty December thing started organically and then it just started just like that,” Yaw said.
“And then people just come here and then they just have fun and all of that.”
He, however, warned that rising prices are now threatening the appeal of the season, especially for visitors.
“Over 300 percent. It’s bad. And then I think it’s both ways,” he said while reacting to the sharp increase in costs.
Yaw called on state governments to step in and regulate prices, particularly in accommodation and transportation.
“I think the state government also needs to come in in a way to help out because you rent a place for a night for 750,000 naira for a night and then you are staying two weeks,” he said.
He also blamed social media for contributing to inflated prices, saying online posts often give a false impression of affordability.
“And also I think it’s also those people that go on social media. Oh, I did my nails for just less than 40 dollars. Can you imagine 40 dollars in Nigeria?” Yaw said.
“When you go, you fix your hair for less than 20 dollars. So when people started hearing this thing, oh, you actually fix it for 150 dollars in America… yeah, but when I get the money to pay. OK, but then it’s not good for us. It’s not good because it’s actually affecting everyone,” he added.
Yaw said the rising costs are not limited to beauty services but also affect daily movement and logistics during the festive period.
“If you do any of the e-hailing business and then you take a cab from somewhere to the next place, usually three thousand, four thousand. Now it’s like nine thousand, ten thousand,” he said.
“I think governments need to step in one way or another.”
He warned that if prices remain unchecked, Nigeria could lose its December tourism advantage to other countries, including Ghana.
Speaking further, Yaw also discussed his upcoming end-of-year concert, Rewind, which he is organising alongside DJ Jimmy Jatt. He said the event is designed to bring different generations together through nostalgic music and comedy.
“For every December, the Gen Z’s, we always have places to go to just to have fun,” he said.
“We want to just listen to our own old school. That’s why we decided to come for the concert. We love the lyrics from the songs from these guys and all of that.”
Yaw said the show is targeted at people between the ages of 25 and 60 and will feature a mix of old and new artistes, including Cynthia Morgan, alongside comedy performances.
He stressed that Nigerian entertainment and culture have always had global appeal.
“This jackpot thing is not just today. It’s been all this while. We’ve always liked to travel and everywhere we go we dominate,” he said.
Yaw concluded that while social media exposure and commercial interest have helped grow Dirty December, proper planning and regulation are now needed to protect its future and ensure the season continues to benefit Nigeria culturally and economically.
