Nigeria’s former Minister of Culture and Tourism, High Chief Edem Duke, has implored the Federal Government of Nigeria to adopt the Carnival Calabar and festival as a national event.
Justifying his stand, the former Minister of Tourism stated that, unlike festivals in other states that died out with time, the Calabar Festival began in 2004 when former Cross River Governor, Mr Donald Duke, planned to turn the state into a tourism and hospitality hub and has been sustained since then.
He made the appeal on Sunday during the unveiling of the 2024 Calabar Carnival and Festival theme at the Pearl Ball Hall of the Transcorp Hotel in Calabar.
Duke identified several instances in which the Rio Carnival, despite not being held in the Brazilian capital, was adopted to be celebrated by the Brazilian government.
While presenting the theme of the 2024 Calabar Festival, “Our Shared Prosperity,” the Governor of Cross River State, Prince Bassey Otu, noted that since tourism cannot thrive in an atmosphere of chaos, the security of lives and properties has been given pride of place in his administration.
“Permit me to remark at this juncture that the Carnival Calabar and festival would not have grown in leaps and bounds without the untiring efforts of the competing and non-competing bands. Their leadership qualities and creativity to create some exciting content for television viewers are commendable.
“The theme is going to be a challenge for the bands, but all I can assure you is that Cross River State is ready for the world.
On his part, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Events, Mr Effiong Ekpenyong, said the theme for the 2024 Carnival will generate even greater momentum and galvanise much greater excitement from different stakeholders involved in the management of the yearly festival.
“Today marks an early start that is aimed at content projection, financial planning, marketing promotions, as well as production. With the unveiling of the theme for this year’s edition coming barely three months after the last edition, it is an attestation to the organiser’s unrelenting desire to make an early start towards increasing revellers’ participation in Africa’s biggest street party.
“As we gather to unveil the theme of this year’s edition, I want to assure everyone that we will strive to make every edition better than the previous, he promised.
The dignitaries present at the unveiling of the 2024 Calabar Carnival theme included the Governor of Kwara State and Chairman of the Nigerian Governor’s Forum, H.E. Abdulrhaman Addulrazaq, who was represented by his deputy, H.E. Kayode Alabi, daughter of President Bola Tinubu, who is the Pro-Chancellor of Havilla University, Ikom, CRS, Mrs Folashade Tinubu-Ojo, Members of the Cross River State Executive Council, Representative of the European Cultural Centre, Chairman of the Cross River Carnival Commission, Gabe Onah, Major Tourism Stakeholders, and Band Leaders.
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