By Kammonke Abam
Tourism brought together what politics couldn’t. Two Emeritus Governors and an incumbent. The fourth Governor was not physically present at the event. One initiated it 20 years ago, the other tailored it up and the third, added more source and spices and is celebrating the two other Governors and the constellation of stars who have held it up for the past two decades.
The iconic product has metamorphosed into not only a Cross River brand but a proud Nigerian brand that the country brags of in different cultural and entertainment fora.
Tourism has always defined Cross River State. Significantly, this came to the fore as an economic goldmine only when “the ideas man”, His Excellency, Mr. Donald Duke, a man known for thinking out of the box and creating possibilities where others see impossibilities, turned the hitherto moribund sector to a goldmine that the State government is still reaping from, twenty years after. His successor, the gentle, calm and institution-building cerebral leader, Senator Liyel Imoke, tailored up Mr. Duke’s pioneering efforts. And now, the incumbent, Governor Prince Bassey Edet Otu has, by this 20th anniversary of the Carnival, added icing on the cake.
Cross River State is generously favoured by nature. From the pristine fauna and flora to other nature’s rich endowments, the state glows in the brightness of life and living.
Carnival Calabar, like its parent progenitor, Calabar Festival, is one of the longest running government-initiated programmes sustained by successive administrations. It’s record breaking. That’s the beauty and power of an inimitable idea.
At the event, Cross River State governor, Bassey Edet Otu, was magnanimous and gracious in acknowledging the unquantifiable sacrifice of the visioners of the Carnival and the annual Calabar Festival, particularly Mr. Donald Duke, and his successors in office, Liyel Imoke, and Ben Ayade.
Otu also celebrated the unsung heroes of the Carnival—the dancers, band leaders, designers, caterers, tailors, and sanitation workers, describing them as the “true custodians of Cross River’s cultural pride and resilience.”
Mr. Gabe Onah, undoubtedly, stands tall among the “unsung heroes” that have sacrificed to give the Carnival Calabar a pride of place. As self-successive Chairman of the Cross River State Carnival Commission since the Senator Liyel Imoke’s administration till date, he has become synonymous with Carnival Calabar. And the Calabar Festival, as well. His magisterial approach to events management, debonair personality, never-give-up attitude has earned him a magical reputation. Even when he had a physical challenge in the course of duty, he defied all odds to constantly meet his deliverables. No wonder successive administrations retained him, thus justifiably earning the epithet, Carnival Czar. Tourism has given him a global name. It has also given him a PhD. And then a record, as one of the longest serving public officials from 2002 to this day. He is a person of great legacies.
So is Eme Affiah. From her CRBC base, she doubled, for a long time, as the official compère of Government House, Calabar events. A distinctive feature of Eme is that she mentored and nurtured a lot of young budding artists into stars some of whom are beaming light as incandescent as Eme’s. Double E, Special Adviser, Events Management is one of such stars. Francis Ekpo, the DG of the Cross River State Electrification Agency is another. So is Diana-Mary Nsan, former Special Adviser to Senator John Owan Enoh, when he was Minister for Sports . They were the foot soldiers holding forth. Elenda Osima-Dokubo is another great actor in the tourism circuit worth acknowledging. Her tenure as MD, CRSTB witnessed tremendous growth.
One person whose presence at the event was not confirmed but whose trademark footprints are boldly imprinted on the sands of time is the easy going and unassuming Nzan Ogbe. Many observers may not be aware, but tourism has created tons of jobs for many people, Cross Riverians and non-Cross Riverians alike.
In the seat of power, Aso Villa, the products of the carnival that learnt the ropes under the consultants that Nzan Brought are in charge of back stage. One day, a few of them “ambushed” Nzan at the Villa and in obsequious gestures, thanked him profusely for the opportunity he provided for them as young people, a move that have earned them a place in the inner recesses of the nation’s decision making quarters. The Cross River Carnival is also a discovery projects. Comedians were discovered.
They are part of Cross River State’s export to the world. There are many others scattered across the world making impact.
The event provided the opportunity for Governor Otu to also share innovations introduced under his administration, including the reintroduction of the Junior Carnival, Night of Kings and Queens, the Ikom Carnival, and the Ogoja Carnival.
“Carnival Calabar is not just a parade of colors; it is a bold expression of our collective dreams, cultural heritage, and economic ingenuity,” Governor Otu said.
“We are not just celebrating a carnival; we are celebrating the soul of our people and the heartbeat of Cross River’s tourism and creative economy.”
Earlier, Gabe Onah, Chairman of the Cross River State Carnival Commission, recalled the bold vision that birthed the carnival at the turn of the millennium and transformed a 12-kilometer stretch into the world’s longest carnival route.
He noted that the festival had evolved from a spectacle to an economic platform, attracting support from AfriExim Bank and Deloitte, among other renowned partners.
“Our young people now dance not just to entertain, but to earn, to express, and to inspire. Carnival Calabar is a living legacy of purpose-driven culture,” Onah said.
UN Resident Representative, Elsie Atafuwa, praised the carnival as a cultural powerhouse aligned with global development goals. She sued for collaborations to promote SDGs, UNESCO heritage status, and youth-focused cultural exchanges. “Culture is not a luxury. It is power, identity, and peace,” Atafuwa said, adding that how Calabar modeled her heritage could drive unity and progress.
Diplomats, Heads of Foreign Missions, Captains of Industry, and revelers were among invited guests at the theme unveiling event and they were also invited to witness the twentieth anniversary of the biggest street party in Africa, the 2025 Carnival Calabar in December.
The pictures of the 25th anniversary with the three Governors mingling and guffawing hold significant value. They remind us all the virtue of unity and cooperation in diversity. Cross River State is one of the few States that previous Governors meet in an ambience of camaraderie, putting behind them past acrimonious relationships occasioned by power struggle and political differences
The theme of the 20th anniversary celebrations, “Traces of Time”, is poignantly reflective of the spirit of the carnival which has established its mark on the sands of time, and justifies remarkably, the get together of the past and present major actors including leaders of the seven competing bands of the carnival, tourism experts, revellers among others. Top political leaders including the National Chairman of the All Progressive Congress, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, and the UN Resident Representative in Nigeria, Elsie Atafuwa, joined to celebrate this huge milestone at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja.
