Gov. Otu Unveils 2025 Carnival Theme, Enjoins Stakeholders To Embrace New Carnival Vision
The Transcorp Hilton Hotel Abuja beamed with Splendour on Wednesday as the Cross River state Governor Senator Bassey Otu unveiled the 2025 Carnival Theme.
The theme “Traces Of Time” was unveiled at the Carnival Calabar 20th anniversary celebration in Abuja.
Unveiling the theme, the state Governor Senator Bassey Otu said the Carnival Calabar which prides itself as Africas biggest street party was birthed in 2005 by the then Governor Donald Duke.
“Carnival Calabar is not just a parade of colors; it is a bold expression of our collective dreams, cultural heritage, and economic ingenuity. Today, 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.
The carnival has grown over the years, expanding to other cities within the state while continuing to provide multiple streams of income for the tailors, artist, fabricators, petty traders, hoteliers, bars and sit-outs, food vendors and lots more” Otu boasted.
Otu who was joined at the unveiling by two ex-governors Mr. Donald Duke and Senator Liyel Imoke, urged stakeholders to embrace the festival’s renewed vision and however urged all the guests at the theme's unveiling event as well as fun seekers to witness the twentieth-anniversary of the carnival in Calabar in December 2025.
The chairman of the Cross River state carnival commission Mr. Gabe Onah, 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.
Tourism expert and Africa’s cultural ambassador, Ikechi Ukoh, also described the carnival as a rare African tourism product with enduring global appeal.
According to him, Calabar stands out as one of the few Nigerian cities that transcend negative global perceptions.
He solicited for deeper support from the Federal Government and expressed optimism about the participation of icons like Donald Duke, Liyel Imoke, and Senator Gershom Bassey.
