Governor Bassey Otu highlights Carnival Calabar’s global impact at 20th edition, urging bands to deliver performances that impress international audiences
Governor Prince Bassey Otu has described the 20th anniversary of Carnival Calabar as a major tourism event with the potential to project the state onto the global stage.
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The governor spoke while flagging off the celebrations at Millennium Park in Calabar, the state capital.
Dignitaries at the event included Imo State Governor Senator Hope Uzodinma, APC National Chairman Prof Nentawe Yilwatda and his wife, Minister of State for Industry Senator John Enoh and his wife, retired military officers, and Nollywood actors.
Addressing participants, Governor Otu urged the various bands to creatively interpret the theme of the carnival, “Traces of Time,” in a way that would leave a lasting impression on international audiences.
“The Carnival you see today, what we are going to unveil is going to be of some very explosive outcome, and of course, we want all the bands to understand the theme of this year’s Carnival.
We want to see it practicalised in a perfect way that the world is going to remember Cross River,” he said.
Otu reaffirmed that Carnival Calabar remains one of the most significant fixtures on the state’s tourism calendar, noting it represents two decades of ingenuity, resilience, continuity, and sustainability.
He further advised both competing and non-competing bands to refine their skills, warning that their performances would determine promotion to higher platforms.
Earlier, the Chairman of the Cross River Carnival Commission, Gabe Onah, highlighted the carnival’s contribution to transforming the state’s commercial economy.
Portuguese envoy Paulo Santos commended the Cross River State Government for its success and promised to encourage other diplomats in Abuja and its environs to select Calabar for their end-of-year holidays.
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Governor Otu also praised his predecessors for their foresight and vision in initiating the carnival, which has grown into a celebrated international event over the past 20 years.
