Calabar, the capital of Cross River State on Thursday stood still as the parade of the bands took centre stage in the ongoing cultural festival christened “Carnival Calabar”.
The parade, which saw the various bands in their colourful costumes dance through the 12-kilometer carnival route, also saw a large number of residents, tourists, and fun seekers cheering them.
Declaring the parade open, Gov. Bassey Otu said they were bringing back the carnival in a bigger platform where it could truly be referred to as an international brand.
He added that the essence was to ensure that Cross River was the choice tourism destination in Nigeria.
Some of the tourists from Lagos, who spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria(NAN), said that the Calabar carnival was truly the biggest street party in Nigeria.
Mr Adebayo Adeyanju, a medical practitioner, who was attending the carnival for the second time with his wife and two kids, said it was a spectacle to behold, adding that his kids were happy.
He, however, appealed to the government of Cross River to develop other tourism potentials of the state so that tourism would be an all-year-round activity not just in December – during the carnival.
“We have Obudu Cattle Ranch that is no longer functional; we have the Agbokim Waterfall and even Tinappa. All these great tourist sites were pushed down due to poor management,” he fumed.
Miss Clara Frederick, a Canadian, who was visiting Calabar for the first time, said she was having a good time as she had been treated well by the residents and would like to visit again in 2024.
