Fifteen-state cultural contingents, including Cameroon community in Calabar, participated in the 2023 Calabar Cultural Carnival.
Among the participating states were Enugu, Kebbi, Edo, Rivers, Ekiti, Akwa Ibom, Ondo, Kaduna, Ebonyi, Kwara and Yobe, including 18 local government areas of the state.
Also, an estimated 50 million online viewers across 54 nations were reported to be relaxing to the four kilometres carnival routes fun.
The cultural carnival is one of the activities lined up for the Christmas festivities in the state.
Speaking while launching the festival, Peter Odey, the deputy governor, said the festival shows the state is ready to host the world for the main Carnival Calabar on December 28.
He said there has been improved security, adding that this year’s celebration is going to be one of the best carnivals witnessed in the state.
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“I’m honoured to launch another beautiful show put together by the carnival commission.
“This shows we are ready to host the world in Calabar.
“Today we will be displaying our culture and it’s going to be one of the best carnivals we have witnessed in the state,” he said.
The Chairman of Cross River Carnival Commission, Gab Onah, said of the 22 states they were expecting, “15 are already here alongside the 18 local government areas of the state, as well as the Cameroon community in the state.”
Besides this, he said the Igbo and Hausa communities are on the route to showcase their culture.
He said: “Culture is the bedrock of our tomorrow and it underscores why a dedicated day has been identified for it.”
Onah described culture as one of those things “that have united us in the country. Our strength is in our diversity.”
Visitors battle for hotel space
Visitors trooping to Cross River State for the 2023 annual Calabar carnival are battling to find hotel space in the capital city, reports the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
NAN reports that the 20th edition of the annual carnival, which began on December 1, has lived up to its billing in spite of the security challenges in the capital city.
Several activities have been lined up for each day of the 31-day carnival with December 28 slated for the main carnival tagged: “Carnival Calabar”.
Some of the visitors who came into the city on Monday described their experience in scouting for hotel space as terrible.
The visitors who spoke with NAN said they were almost giving up in search for one when they secured one on the outskirts of the city.
The respondents said though difficult and expensive, they had to make do with what they got.
One of the visitors, Adams Adah, said: “We thought it will be easy when we came in, but we were made to understand that bookings were made earlier by several of those who planned to come for the carnival.
“We moved about for hours before we could secure the one when eventually got last night.”
In the same vein, Mama Obi, who said she is from the state, but lives in Lagos, attributed the difficulty to influx of visitors for the carnival.
She said for lack of space, many of the hotels had adjusted their rates.
“As I speak with you, there is no longer any hotel space in the heart of Calabar Municipality. If you are lucky, you can get one around Atimbo, Ikorishi, 8mile or in Calabar South,” she said.
Another visitor, who identified himself as Dan, said he came in on Tuesday morning from Port Harcourt with friends, but settled for an apartment he had secured over two weeks ago.
According to him, “I actually came with some friends for the carnival, but couldn’t get another space for them in the same apartment as it was fully booked.
“We all had to manage the one I had secured for wants of space. We were told we would not find any, even normal hotel space except on the outskirts.”
The Chairman, Carnival Commission, Mr Gabe Onah, said 15 million viewers across the globe are expected to watch the main event live on DSTV on December 28.
NAN reports that the state had declared 14-day public holiday for civil servants, to enable them participate in the carnival.
