By Onwa Ekor
A total of 22 out of the 30 accredited States across the country are in Calabar for the 2025 Cultural Carnival holding Friday and tagged ‘Traces of time.’
Also on ground to grace the yearly event are the six host communities in Calabar, the 18 local government areas troupes in the state and the newly introduced Diaspora band.
Flagging off the event at the Millennium park roundabout in Calabar, the Cross River capital, the governor, Prince Bassey Otu, explained that the event was an opportunity to showcase the beautiful cultural heritage of Cross River and indeed the entire nation.
Otu, represented by his deputy, RT. Hon. Peter Odey said: “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.
“Calabar Carnival will again be in the eyes of the world that we are showcasing the best cultural carnival in the world.
“We are the first to start the cultural carnival and every year we up the game,” the governor stated.
Earlier, Chairman Cross River Carnival Commission, Gabe Onah, explained that the foundation of the said Cultural Carnival was laid by the culture and heritage of the people of the state.
Reasoning that the African man is known to dance on the city streets, Onah noted that the European Union is equally advertising and associating with what Carnival Calabar is doing, through the ‘Sticks arts.’
Going philosophical, the Commission Chairman pointed out that, “in Africa arts and culture, everything is prominent, caused by the Sun and this is what the Sun has offered us here today, blessing this cultural efforts.”
At the time of filing this report, Abia, Bayelsa, Kogi, Delta, Adamawa, Benue and Edo were among the first arrivals into the state.
Others include, Ebonyi, Katsina, Kebbi, Nasarawa, Niger, Ondo, Osun, Rivers and Taraba.
