By Onwa Ekor, Calabar
Wife of the immediate past president of Nigeria, Hajia Aisha Buhari and her children, governors of Kwara and Kogi, AbdulRahma AbdulRassaq and Ahmed Usman Ododo, as well as the European Union and United Nations representatives, were among the many dignitaries that graced the 2024 Carnival Calabar.
Speaking during the flag off ceremony at the millennium park in Calabar, the Cross River capital, the governor, Prince Bassey Otu, affirmed that the year’s theme, “our shared prosperity,” remains internationally engaging considering the global audience in attendance at the event.
“The theme of this year is ‘Shared Prosperity.’ That shared prosperity is actually internationally engaging because, we have the global audience right here, we have people from all continents of the world right here.
“There is need to build economic, social and cultural prosperity into what we are doing for our people to share,” Otu said.
The governor used the event to applaud the initiator of the event, former Governor Donald Duke as well as former governors Liyel Imoke and Prof. Ben Ayade respectively, for sustaining the event and introducing more participating and non participating bands into the Carnival which is in its second decade, having been birthed in 2004.
He assured that his administration would continue to build and add value to the event, informing that, in the coming year a Diaspora band would be floated.
Kwara Governor, AbdulRahma AbdulRassaq, on his part lauded the present administration of Prince Bassey Otu for sustaining and adding more touch of creativity and style to the event.
According to AbdulRassaq, the event puts Nigeria on the map as it is a global event and improves the state Internally generated revenue.
“This program puts Nigeria on the map because it is a global event. What we don’t realise is the improved high Internally Generated Revenue of the State. If I look at it from the economic angle, not just the cultural angle, you see people talking about spending December in Lagos, but this is here to stay.
“Hopefully, next year, people will need to spend some days in Calabar before going back to Lagos, that is the joy of it all,” Kwara governor assured.
The revellers including the competing and non competing bands immediately after the flag off, took to the 14 kilometres carnival routes to entertain watchers while interpreting the theme at the various adjudication points.
