Twenty-two of the 30 states that indicated interest in the 2025 Calabar Cultural Carnival, alongside the 18 local government areas of Cross River State, six host communities in Calabar and the newly introduced Diaspora Band, were on parade on Friday as the annual cultural fiesta kicked off in grand style.

The colourful event attracted hundreds of thousands of fun lovers, culture enthusiasts and tourists to Calabar, widely regarded as Nigeria’s Carnival Capital.

Flagging off the festival at the Millennium Park Roundabout in Calabar, Governor Bassey Otu said the carnival provided a unique platform to showcase the rich cultural heritage of Cross River State and Nigeria at large.

Otu, who was represented by his deputy, Rt. Hon. Peter Odey, said: “You will see culture in clear display, you will see culture of the people of Cross River, you will see various cultural groups that would come across the country to showcase what we are known for.

“Calabar Carnival will again be in the eyes of the world that we are showcasing the best cultural carnival in the world.

“We are the first to start the cultural carnival and every year we up the game,” the governor stated.

Earlier, Chairman of the Cross River Carnival Commission, Mr. Gabe Onah, explained that the foundation of the Cultural Carnival was deeply rooted in the culture and heritage of the people of the state.

According to him, the African identity is expressed through dance and street performances, adding that the European Union has continued to identify with and promote Carnival Calabar through initiatives such as the ‘Sticks Arts’ programme.

Going philosophical, Onah said: “In African arts and culture, everything is prominent, caused by the sun, and this is what the sun has offered us here today, blessing this cultural effort.”

States that participated in the festival included Abia, Bayelsa, Kogi, Delta, Adamawa, Benue, Edo, Ebonyi, Katsina, Kebbi, Nasarawa, Niger, Ondo, Osun, Rivers and Taraba. (The Guardian)