No doubt, Carnival Calabar is the biggest street party in Africa, considering the long carnival route, huge number of attendees, competing bands and countries represented. Gabe Onah is the chairman of Cross River State Carnival Commission, the organisers of the carnival, which is now in its 20th edition.
Onah has held the position for a long time, amid being part of the pioneer team that developed, grew and sustained the feats of Carnival Calabar.
In this interview with Obinna Emelike, he shares expectations for this year’s edition, renewed spirit, offerings, input of the government, among others.
Carnival Calabar is set for another outing. In your opinion, what will make 2025 different from previous editions?
In 2019, Carnival Calabar was at its height until Covid-19 came and shut down the world. The creative arts and tourism sector suffered the most.
The 2025 Carnival Calabar, with theme Traces Of Time will reestablish the carnival’s former firm position and we are restrategizing to maintain its role as a socioeconomic penetrator of the state fabrics.
Do you anticipate Detty December in Calabar?
The unstrained December Carnival Calabar fun and the economic ripples have placed Cross River State on the international tourists beaten tracks. Similarly, the unstrained fun and the economic penetration of the state social fabric strata would also call for unstrained input on the part of the public and private sectors as the carnival promotes the uniqueness of the state’s creative economic offerings beyond bounds.
How are you rebuilding the carnival spirit?
With the reawakening being introduced by the leadership of Governor Bassey Otu, and his ‘people first mantra’, atmospheric euphoria is back and the community has been reinvigorated. Come and visit. I look back at the Millennium Park on the night of the Christmas Tree lighting on November 30, 2025, and even now we are experiencing population explosion and this is welcoming.
Furthermore there is a reawakening and strengthening of the spirit of Carnival Calabar among the bands and the people in the realization that tourism, culture and creative arts are significant tools for the socio-economic development of the state.
Are we expecting the past governors at this year’s carnival?
The uniqueness of Carnival Calabar has always been in its role as an instrument for unification. For the 2025 edition, which also marks the 20th anniversary, the current governor’s ability to gather all the former governors of the state has repositioned Carnival Calabar as a movement for unity, understanding, growth and effective progress of the state. The totality of the content of the 2025 theme, ‘Traces of Time’ is for peace, a very expensive item on national and international scenes.
What impacts have the past governors made to grow the carnival?
Come with me as I run you through the evolution of the creative sector through to Carnival Calabar as we know it today. Starting with Govenor Clement Ebri, he was a curator of arts, who renovated the cultural center complex with state-of-the-art lighting systems. Then came Governor Donald Duke who identified the creative, culture and tourism sectors as viable options for development and has been described by many as a meteor; to Governor Liyel Imoke who institutionalized the carnival product with thematic scripted content and made it an enviable brand with emphasis on training and deliberate building blocks; and Governor Ben Ayade who globalized the carnival with exciting products like the international carnival, Miss Africa Pageant, International Food festival, the Bikers Carnival and now to the Joseph of our time, Govenor Bassey Otu, who is leading the narrative and celebrations of the 20th anniversary of Carnival Calabar 2025 like no other.
