Calabar Carnival, tagged “the Pride of Nigeria”, is an annual carnival taking place in Calabar, in the Cross River State of Nigeria. Initiated in 2004, by the governor of the state, Donald Duke, the festivity takes place during the whole month of December. The carnival was part of Duke’s project, making the state a major tourist attraction not only nationally, but also on a continental scale.

Each year, the carnival committee chooses a different theme with cultural activities around it. Since 2015, the chosen topics have been timely and relevant to Africans. Both in 2015 and 2016, climate change and the importance of inculcating a new culture, that helps preserve the environment, came to the fore. The next year, the subject was migration, due to its ties with colonialism and slavery, defining aspects of the region’s present-day culture and history. In 2018, the selected topic was Africanism, highlighting the importance of shaping and telling the African story to the world through indigenous perspectives. 2019’s theme shifted focus towards a more universal issue— humanity. Arising in the midst of anti-police brutality and government corruption campaigns across the country, the event functions as a reprieve from these political hardships, focusing instead on the peaceful co-existence of humans regardless of their differences.

To know more about the carnival’s spirit, AMAKA spoke to two Calabar locals who’ve attended the carnival, Joy Offere, who is a 19-year-old Nigerian woman living in the Cross River State, and Dennis Sofiri, a 25-year-old woman working as a client service personnel. Offere emphasised the global aspect of the festival, and how it unites people from all over the world, saying: “The carnival symbolises diversity, unity, and universality since most attendants come from outside the country. Although the themes are rich in Nigerian cultural heritage, the carnival’s program includes artistic performances, from the four corners of the globe, which promotes the aforementioned values.”

Indeed, the event offers an opportunity to explore multiple forms of Black artistic expression, platforming the work of musicians from across the Black diaspora, such as Akon and Nelly. Calabar Carnival also features live dance performances from Mexican, Brazilian, Jamaican, Trinidadian and Belizean dancers of African origin. Despite the incorporation of varied Black cultural traditions, the local customs of the Cross River State remain central to the carnival: beauty pageants celebrate the local women; afrobeats and highlife music predominate the musical performances; fashion shows feature ankara print and indigenoous dress; traditional dances fill the streets.

Dennis Sofiri, another carnival-goer, testifies this: “[T]here’s a general African spirit. Everything is African; the food, the dances, and the costumes.”

She goes on to speak about the festival’s numerical reach, stating that the parade alone attracts 50,000 participants, emphasising the centrality of Nigerian cultures— this is in addition to the one million general attendees. The 50,000 people in the parade form five bands, which are visually distinguished by colour: Bayside Band (blue), Freedom Band (yellow), Seagull Band (red), Passion 4 Band (green), Masta Blasta Band (orange).

Sofiri continues: “Costumes are made by Nigerians. Since each band has thousands of members, there are a variety of costumes and different shades of colour. There is a royal family composed of the queen, king, princess, and prince. They wear matching outfits, as for the other members, they’re dressed in the same uniform.”

According to Sofiri, a day is dedicated for each group, during which they can give their performances. Judges observe the band’s different acts, then choose a winner who will be granted a cash prize.

For Offere, honouring the local lore presents a revival of Nigerian heritage and a way of challenging the ever-encroaching western hegemony: “It represents the strength of our local culture, despite the presence of many elements from the Western culture [...] we’re still very proud of our African culture and want to make sure it doesn’t fade away.”

As touched on, many of the themes within Calabar Carnival enable an emotional departure from traumas of the past year. Offere comments: “It’s not easy keeping up with life’s stress and pressure, and at some point, everyone needs to relax their mind, and change the scenery. We need this festivity because it’s about innovation and creation, during which people appreciate beauty, art, and diversity.”

Indeed, not only is Calabar Carnival a time for mental healing, it’s a time for enterprise. Offere says: “By organising writing contests and competitions in various artistic fields like music, and drama, the carnival encourages young people to be creative and explore their mind, with cash prizes as motivation.” 

We see this materially evidenced through the growth of the local economy. According to Gabe Onah, a member of the committee, hotel owners have been able to capitalise on the increased demand during carnival time, with rooms surging from an annual average of NGN 4,000 a night to NGN 22,000 in December. Furthermore, 3.000 jobs in the tourism sector have been created since the event’s inception. Additionally, this festivity is an opportunity for Nigerians working in the food industry to introduce the local cuisine to tourists, gaining free advertisement. 

Unfortunately, the loss of income from oil has forced the government to cut its spending on the event. Nonetheless, its return in December of this year, following a two year hiatus, means the carnival’s still set to boost an appreciation of local histories, communities and enterprise.