By Joan Odafe
The Chairman of Carnival Calabar, Gabe Onah, says the 2025 edition will be different and better, positioning the event as a key driver of Cross River’s tourism and creative economy recovery post-COVID-19.
Onah, in a statement on Monday in Lagos, said this year’s event with the theme, ‘Traces of Time’, would reassert Carnival Calabar’s pre-pandemic stature.
He said it would also deepen its role as a socio-economic driver for the state.
He said the carnival, which holds annually in December, draws tens of thousands of both domestic and international visitors to the state capital and neighbouring tourism hubs, including Obudu.
“The 2025 Carnival Calabar will be the epitome of our tourism recovery from the COVID years – a real trace of our times.
“In 2019, the carnival was at its height before the pandemic shut down the world and hit the creative and tourism sectors hardest.
“This year, we are deliberately re-strategising to reclaim that firm position and sustain its impact on the state’s social and economic fabric,” he said.
Onah said the 2025 edition, which also marks the 20th anniversary of the carnival, would feature a rich blend of street parades by competing carnival bands, concerts, cultural performances, community events and legacy programmes that trace the evolution of the state’s creative sector.
He said the activities would build on the festive calendar already set in motion by events such as the Christmas tree lighting which held at the Millennium Park on Nov. 30.
According to him,the carnival’s appeal lies in its unstrained December fun, a festive atmosphere that delivers strong economic returns without the congestion often associated with peak holiday destinations.
Onah attributed the renewed momentum to the administration of Gov. Bassey Otu’s people first approach, which he said had reinvigorated communities, carnival bands and creative practitioners.
“There is a clear reawakening of the carnival spirit.
“Public spaces are alive again, population inflow is rising and there is renewed understanding that tourism, culture and the creative arts are vital tools for socio-economic development,” he said.
He said a key highlight of the 2025 edition, is the coming together of all former governors of the state, including Donald Duke, Liyel Imoke and Ben Ayade.
“As we mark 20 years, the habit of the current governor to aggregate past leaders has repositioned the carnival as a movement for unity, understanding, growth and effective progress.
“At the heart of the ‘Traces of Time’ theme is peace, a very expensive commodity in today’s national and global climate,” he said.
Onah noted that while the carnival had put the state on the international tourist map, sustaining it required concerted efforts and deliberate input from both the public and private sectors.(NAN) (www.nannews.ng)
Edited by Folasade Adeniran
