The Carnival Calabar has become part of the Cross River State’s cultural identity and will endure for generations to come, Governor Bassey Otu of Cross River has said.
Mr Otu, represented by the Deputy Governor, Peter Odey, stated this on Sunday while unveiling the 2025 Carnival Calabar Mascot and the newly created Diaspora Band at the Second Dry Run in Calabar.
Mr Otu said the new mascot reflected the beauty, growth and resilience of the Carnival Calabar, celebrating its 20-year evolution into a major African cultural showcase.
He noted that he approved the creation of a mascot that captures the carnival’s identity, heritage, and resilient spirit over the past two decades.
He declared the unveiling a landmark moment, adding that Carnival Calabar has become part of the state’s cultural identity and will endure for generations.
“In the same vein, I unveil the new Diaspora Band, created to reconnect Africans abroad with their roots through culture and artistic expression.
“My administration is strengthening ties with the diaspora community through the state Diaspora Commission, which has recorded notable progress,” he said.
Also speaking, Gabe Onah, chairman of the Cross River Carnival Commission, described the unveiling as a tribute to the state’s enduring cultural heritage.
He recalled the October homecoming of 92 African diasporans, an event that inspired the formation of the Diaspora Band.
Mr Onah said Governor Otu approved the band to give Africans in the diaspora a platform to express shared history, memory and cultural reconnection.
“With the 2025 theme ‘Traces of Time,’ the Diaspora Band will join the carnival procession with a sub-theme highlighting heritage and reconciliation,” he said.
He called on Africans in the diaspora to join the band and help lead Carnival Calabar into its next cultural phase.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Calabar Carnival is an annual carnival held in Cross River.
Also known as Africa’s Biggest Street Party, the carnival is held every December and was declared by the then-governor of Cross River, Donald Duke, an activity to mark the Christmas celebration yearly.
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Mr Duke said his vision for creating the festival was to make Cross River a home of tourism and hospitality in Nigeria and Africa.
NAN reports that the festival has grown over the years, making it Nigeria’s biggest carnival and an internationally recognised festival.
It used to be a month-long event that began on December 1, until the former governor of the state, Ben Ayade, reduced it to two weeks after his election.
Countries that have participated in the Calabar Carnival include Brazil, Turkey, South Africa and Egypt.
The carnival is also popular in Nigeria, with many states sending delegations.
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