By Kelvin Obambon
Former Minister of Culture and Tourism, High Chief Edem Duke, has said that the 2024 Calabar Carnival was more bigger and better than previous editions in terms of turnout, resources and international attention.
Duke made the assessment while fielding questions from journalists in Calabar Saturday at a victory party organized to celebrate Calas Vegas Band, winner of the 2024 edition of Calabar Carnival.
Appraising the Carnival, Duke who is the Calas Vegas Band leader said that “the Carnival from all indication was bigger than all what we’ve had in the recent past. The turnout of bands – the non-competing bands were more in number. They spent a lot of resources, and then we had a lot more international eyes on the carnival. The media exposure for it was a lot more. I think all the bands must have dug very deep and spent a lot more than the grants that were given to them to put up the show that we had.
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“The governor has consistently said that he was going to grow the carnival from year to year, and what we saw today is a new benchmark, a milestone for the carnival in general.”
He attributed the victory of Calas Vegas Band to members’ commitment to creativity and their ability to interpret the theme of the Carnival. He emphasized that the experience and leadership attributes of the band’s leadership were equally instrumental.
To further improve the Calabar Carnival, Duke harped on the need for early planning, engagement of more stakeholders, more marketing, among others.
Dignitaries in attendance included Senator Florence Ita-Giwa, leader of the Seagull Band; Commissioner for Tourism, Abubakar Ewa; Member representing Calabar Municipality in the state House of Assembly, Hon. Stanley Nsemo; and the Executive Secretary of Carnival Commission, Austin Cobham.