Lagos: The Chairman of Carnival Calabar, Gabe Onah, has announced that the 2025 edition of the event will be distinct and improved, aiming to position it as a pivotal force in the recovery of Cross River’s tourism and creative economy in the aftermath of COVID-19. Onah, in a statement on Monday, emphasized that this year’s theme, ‘Traces of Time,’ will reaffirm Carnival Calabar’s pre-pandemic prominence while enhancing its role as a socio-economic catalyst for the state.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, the annual event, scheduled for December, attracts tens of thousands of both domestic and international visitors to the state capital and nearby tourism hotspots such as Obudu. Onah remarked, “The 2025 Carnival Calabar will be the epitome of our tourism recovery from the COVID years – a real trace of our times.” He highlighted that the carnival reached its peak in 2019 before the pandemic adversely affected the tourism and creative sectors.
Onah outlined that the 2025 edition, coinciding with the carnival’s 20th anniversary, will showcase a diverse array of activities, including street parades by competing carnival bands, concerts, cultural performances, community events, and legacy programs. These activities are designed to trace the evolution of the state’s creative sector and build upon the festive calendar initiated by events like the Christmas tree lighting at Millennium Park on November 30.
He further noted the carnival’s unique appeal, which lies in its festive December atmosphere that generates substantial economic benefits without the typical congestion associated with peak holiday destinations. Onah credited the renewed momentum to Governor Bassey Otu’s people-first approach, which has revitalized 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,” Onah stated. He also highlighted a key feature of the 2025 edition: the gathering 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 concluded.