The annual cultural fiesta began in spectacular fashion yesterday with a parade that included 22 of the 30 states that expressed interest in the 2025 Calabar Cultural Carnival, the 18 local government areas of Cross River State, six host communities in Calabar, and the recently formed Diaspora Band.
According to the Saturday Guardian, the vibrant celebration brought hundreds of thousands of tourists, culture vultures, and fun seekers to Calabar, which is known as Nigeria’s Carnival Capital.
Governor Bassey Otu, who kicked off the celebration at Calabar’s Millennium Park Roundabout, said the carnival offered a special opportunity to highlight the rich cultural legacy of Cross River State and all of Nigeria.
“You will see culture in clear display, you will see culture of the people of Cross River, you will see various cultural groups that would come across the country to showcase what we are known for,” stated Otu, who was represented by his deputy, Rt. Hon. Peter Odey.
“Calabar Carnival will once more be regarded as the world’s greatest cultural carnival.
The governor declared, “We are the first to start the cultural carnival and we up the game every year.”
Mr. Gabe Onah, the chairman of the Cross River Carnival Commission, had previously clarified that the state’s culture and tradition served as the cornerstone of the Cultural Carnival.
He asserts that street acts and dance are ways that African identity is conveyed, and that the European Union has continued to support and identify with Carnival Calabar through programs like “Sticks Arts.”
“Everything is prominent in African arts and culture, caused by the sun, and this is what the sun has offered us here today, blessing this cultural effort,” Onah added, elaborating.
Abia, Bayelsa, Kogi, Delta, Adamawa, Benue, Edo, Ebonyi, Katsina, Kebbi, Nasarawa, Niger, Ondo, Osun, Rivers, and Taraba were among the states that took part in the celebration.
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