Cross River targets N19 billion revenue from 2026 carnival
The Cross River State Government says it is targeting more than N19 billion in economic benefits from the 2026 Carnival Calabar.
The state governor, Bassey Otu, announced this on Sunday during the flag-off of the carnival’s first dry run in Calabar.
Mr Otu, represented by Deputy Governor, Peter Odey, said the government was repositioning the festival as a major economic asset.
He said the initiative would attract tourists, support businesses, stimulate investment and showcase the state’s cultural heritage to national and international audiences.
The Chairman of the Cross River State Carnival Commission, Gab Onah, said the 2025 edition generated an estimated N19 billion in socio-economic impact.
Mr Onah said the commission was exploring strategies to surpass the figure at the 2026 edition.
He identified digitisation as one of the strategies, noting that the commission had introduced online registration and voting to deepen public participation.
He said the initiative would enable members of the public to register as carnival band members and vote for the Band of the Year.
Mr Onah also disclosed that Nigerian music star, David Adeleke, otherwise called Davido, had indicated his readiness to participate in this year’s festivities.
He added that discussions with some international participants were ongoing.
The 2026 carnival is under the theme ‘Rethinking Our Collective Destiny,’ which Mr Onah said promotes unity, inclusiveness and shared humanity.
He said the festival would provide young people with opportunities to showcase their creativity and talents while generating greater economic benefits for the state.
(NAN)
We have recently deactivated our website's comment provider in favour of other channels of distribution and commentary. We encourage you to join the conversation on our stories via our Facebook, Twitter and other social media pages.
More from Peoples Gazette
States
Independence: NBA urges Nigerians to expect better future
The NBA said that ordinary Nigerians should be deriving benefit from the subsidy removal rather than hardship.
Agriculture
FG tasks ECOWAS on leveraging financing strategies for agroecology
The federal government has urged stakeholders in the agriculture and finance sectors in the West Africa region to leverage financing strategies to enhance agroecology practices
Politics
Katsina youths pledge to deliver over 2 million votes to Atiku
“Katsina State is Atiku’s political base because it is his second home.”
States
Nupe, Hausa, Igbo, Yoruba showcase heritage in Niger
Ethnic groups in Niger showcased their rich cultural heritage at the second edition of ‘Rep Your Tribe’, an event aimed at promoting cultural diversity.
NationWide
Plane Crash: NiMet warns airlines of dust haze, thunderstorms in latest weather alert
“Airline operators are advised to obtain airport-specific weather reports (flight documentation) from NiMet for effective planning of their operations,” it said.
Politics
Tinubu targeting two million votes in Osun, Yari tells Ooni
Mr Yari said the APC was targeting up to two million voters in Osun. Records from the August 15 governorship poll showed 2,339,233 registered voters, but only one million voted.
Opinion
Azu Ishiekwene: Will a Nobel solve the world’s Trump problem? The president thinks so
It’s a tragedy that the Trump White House is wantonly destroying the world order of peace and security and damaging institutions that the U.S. was at the forefront of building.
Abuja
From Opportunity to Expansion: How Fidelity Bank FundHer supported Akara Café’s next chapter
More important, Pavillon represents what can happen when a growing business is able to recognise an opportunity and access the support needed to pursue it.
NationWide
Sultanate Council plans Islamic microfinance bank to tackle poverty, unemployment
Mr Suharto noted that the initiative would support the poorest and most vulnerable individuals to develop sustainable livelihoods.
