By Ibu Harrywills
In a strategic move to advance digital innovation, strengthen stakeholder participation and boost revenue generation ahead of the 2026 Carnival Calabar and Festival, the Cross River State Carnival Commission on Tuesday convened a high level engagement with leaders of the competing carnival bands and its official technology partner, Nugi Technologies Nig Ltd.
The interactive session, held at the State Library Complex Hall in Calabar, brought together the Chairman of the Cross River State Carnival Commission, Sir Gabe Onah; the Special Adviser to the Governor on Event Management and Chairman of the Carnival Calabar and Festival Committee, Sir Effiong Ekpenyong; Executive Secretary of the Carnival Commission, Evangelist Austin Cobham; Executive Chairman of the Cross River State Internal Revenue Service, Sir Prince Edwin Okon; Commissioners of the Carnival Commission; leaders of the competing carnival bands; and the management team of Nugi Technologies Nig Ltd, led by its Chief Executive Officer, Ms Ajoke Akinlabi, Chief Technology Officer, Mr Godswill Adie, and Chief Operations Officer, Mr Brown Okoi.
Speaking during the engagement, the Chairman of the Carnival Commission, Sir Gabe Onah, commended Nugi Technologies Nig Ltd for its outstanding representation of Carnival Calabar at the recently concluded London Tech Week, where the festival attracted significant international attention and generated renewed investor interest.
He stated that the Commission remains committed to repositioning Carnival Calabar as a globally competitive tourism product by embracing technology driven solutions that will expand audience participation, improve operational efficiency and create sustainable revenue opportunities for all stakeholders.
Sir Onah disclosed that the Commission, in partnership with Nugi Technologies Nigeria Ltd, is introducing a suite of digital innovations, including an online voting platform, digital membership registration, merchandising opportunities and other technology enabled solutions designed to increase public engagement while creating additional economic value for participating carnival bands.
He explained that public participation through online voting would account for 30 per cent of the overall competition score, while the remaining 70 per cent would continue to be determined by the creative, artistic and theatrical performances of the competing bands.
According to him, the initiative is designed to transform Carnival Calabar into a year round digital experience that allows supporters across Nigeria and the diaspora to actively participate in the festival.
READ: Africa: Cross River Unveils Full Calendar of Events for Carnival Calabar Tourism Festival 2026
“This initiative is about making the public an integral part of Carnival Calabar. Beyond the street parade, we want Nigerians and supporters across the world to actively participate, own the experience and contribute to the growth of our tourism economy,” Sir Onah said.
He further revealed that the Commission is developing a private sector driven framework aimed at commercialising the carnival value chain, noting that stronger collaboration with investors, technology partners and other stakeholders would unlock greater opportunities for tourism development, youth empowerment and economic growth across Cross River State.
The Chairman also announced that a broader stakeholders’ engagement would be held later in the week and directed each competing carnival band to nominate between 10 and 15 management representatives to facilitate the seamless implementation of the new digital initiatives.
Highlighting the enormous tourism potential of the state, Sir Onah observed that attracting just one per cent of Nigeria’s estimated population as organic tourists would significantly increase visitor arrivals, stimulate local businesses and boost the state’s internally generated revenue.
Also speaking, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Event Management and Chairman of the Carnival Calabar and Festival Committee, Sir Effiong Ekpenyong, described the collaboration between the Carnival Commission and Nugi Technologies Nigeria Ltd as a strategic partnership that aligns with Governor Bassey Otu’s vision of leveraging innovation to reposition Cross River State as Nigeria’s leading tourism destination.
He applauded the company for deploying cutting edge technology to expand the global visibility of Carnival Calabar while creating new opportunities for stakeholder engagement, transparency and sustainable revenue generation.
The Executive Chairman of the Cross River State Internal Revenue Service, Sir Prince Edwin Okon, emphasised the importance of transparency, accountability and collaboration in the successful implementation of the initiative.
He urged all stakeholders to embrace the digital transformation process with sincerity, unity of purpose and a shared commitment to ensuring its long term success for the benefit of the state.
Presenting the digital solutions, the Chief Executive Officer of Nugi Technologies Nigeria Ltd, Ms Ajoke Akinlabi, said the company’s vision is to leverage innovative technology to make Carnival Calabar more accessible, inclusive and interactive for participants, visitors and audiences across the world.
She unveiled the Carnival Calabar Voting Application and the Carnival Calabar Membership Application, explaining that both platforms were developed to simplify participation, encourage year round engagement and provide carnival enthusiasts with seamless access to information, membership services and voting opportunities from anywhere in the world.
Ms Akinlabi noted that beyond improving user experience, the digital platforms are expected to enhance transparency, strengthen fan engagement, generate valuable data for planning and open new channels for revenue generation through digital participation and merchandising.
She reaffirmed the unwavering commitment of Nugi Technologies Nig Ltd to working closely with the Cross River State Government and the Cross River State Carnival Commission in delivering a digitally enhanced Carnival Calabar 2026 that will set new benchmarks for cultural tourism, innovation and audience engagement across Africa.
The engagement marks another significant milestone in the preparations for Carnival Calabar 2026, as the Cross River State Government continues to leverage technology, strategic partnerships and stakeholder collaboration to consolidate the festival’s position as Africa’s Biggest Street Party and one of the continent’s foremost drivers of tourism, cultural exchange and economic development.
