To further heighten the experience at the 2024 Carnival Calabar scheduled to take place in December, organizers of the event have added additional programmes to excite revellers’ during the month-long festival.
Speaking at a press conference in Lagos, the Executive Chairman, Carnival Calabar Commission, Gabe Onah said one of the objectives of the carnival commission is to ensure an all-year-round event, part from the December yearly programmes.
According to him, the carnival presents a viable platform for investors to take advantage of and showcase their products, adding that the organizers are interfacing with international bodies who want to partner with the event, using Carnival Calabar as platform.
He said the Carnival will be partnering with YangaGames, an online gaming platform to add more fun to the number of activities lined up for the 2024 event.
He further disclosed that Carnival Calabar will be adding a Junior Carnival to this year’s event partnering with Nigeria Centre of the International Association of Theatre for Children and Young People (ASSITEJ).
Onah added that the Carnival provides over two 2 million direct jobs to indigenes of the state and has a coverage of 42 countries, with over 50 million viewership, stating that partnering the event is a win-win for investors.
“We are blessed with a great year because for the first time in the history of Carnival Calabar the theme got unveiled before the end of the first quarter and this is what we are looking for. It takes grace to say yes I can do it and this is what the new government is bringing to the table.
“The government of innovation, the government of promise, and very people-oriented. And we are happy that we have taking Carnival Calabar back to the private sector because that is the only time we will be assured of this sustainability.
“Today we are ready to unveil one or two works in progress. The lottery platform, and of course, the room for the children in creativity. We have also been interfacing with international bodies who want to partner with us, using Carnival Calabar as the icebreaker and the pilot.
“Our desire is actually to engage and achieve specials, which is to engage the entire 12 calendar months so that our desire to take back our number one position that COVID-19 tried to steal. Furthermore, if there is any opportunity to be in the center of excellence as it were, we should speak to Carnival Calabar.”
Also speaking at the event, Mr Effiong Ekpeyong, Special Adviser, Events Management, Governor’s Office and Tourism Development said the carnival would kick off with lightening of Christmas trees in the city.
He said the carnival will start on Dec. 1 with HIV AIDs walk day to the festival village and the official opening of the carnival.
“Each day of the carnival will be an experience, we will feature comedy night, reggae night, boat reggata at the marina resort waterfront, barbecue night and more.
“We will feature a mega concert where A list Nigerian artistes will perform for free and we have a mini theme known as “Sweetness Continues”,” he said.
Mr Austine Cobham, Executive Secretary, Carnival Commission said the carnival would be a 32-day event.
Cobham said ahead of the 32-day carnival, the first dry run heralding the carnival would hold Oct. 20, the second dry run would be on Nov. 2 while the third and final dry run would hold Dec. 8.
“The cultural carnival would hold on Dec 26, as well as the Kings and Queens performance; the children carnival, now called the junior carnival will take place on Dec 27, the Carnival Calabar known as Africa’s biggest street party will be on Dec. 28, Bikers Parade will hold Dec 29 while the street party will be on Dec. 30,” he said.
Executive Chairman, YangaGames technologies Limited, Mr Derrick David Kentebbe, who spoke at the conference, said the outfit aims to partner with the festival in ensuring that inadequate funding would no longer challenge to the carnival.
He stated that the firm is happy to part with Carnival Calabar, the biggest street part in Africa, adding that tourism lovers would be able to participate in online games during the event and win prizes.
Also, President Nigeria Centre of the International Association of Theatre for Children and Young People (ASSITEJ), Dr. Mrs Pamela Arnold Udoka, who spoke during the press conference said, “We will be creating workshops of adults teaching children our dances. If you Google anything or you watch anything on social media, once you see a dance from the southeast, there is just a particular movement we can do. That is all they know. But there are other dances in the southeast other than that. So, if the children are not exposed to other cultural dances from that area, they wouldn’t know about it. So, we are saying, okay, let’s have an ASSITEJ Festival. We call it the ASSITEJ Nigeria Theater Festival ”.
