Calabar Carnival and Festivals, Africa’s largest street festival, has appointed Okhma Global as the official marketing company for the grand festivity in December.
Governor Bassey Otu of Cross River State announced this during the recent private investment breakfast meeting involving over 100 chief executives of top organisations from across the various sectors of the Nigerian economy and other stakeholders.
The event was put together by Okhma on behalf of the state government.
In her speech before the governor took to the podium, the Managing Director of Okhma, Mary Ephraim-Egbas, took the spell-bound audience through the opportunities inherent in the carnival and how interested partners could plug in their brands and organisations for maximum benefit.
On his part, Otu took the audience through the history of the carnival, his vision for Cross River and the importance the carnival and tourism would play in his plans to reposition the state as the tourism capital of Africa.
He disclosed to the businesses the policies the leadership of the state had put in place to create a business-friendly environment for investors and partners, who identify with the economic aspirations of the state.
Ephraim-Egbas, enthused by the governor’s endorsement, expressed excitement about the appointment and promised that members of the Okhma team were poised to deliver the biggest haul of investments and partnerships in the festival.
She also remarked that this would be Okhma’s sixth cycle of involvement with the carnival, which clocks its 19th cycle this year, thus, making them the most successful marketing service provider to the carnival and holding the record of attracting the highest amount in sponsorship for the yearly programme.
As the exclusive marketing firm, Okhma is expected to liaise with corporate organizations with interest in the carnival and reach agreements on behalf of the Cross River government for a successful carnival.
The governor added: “I am very happy meeting all of you. I think we exceeded expectations in terms of the quality of attendance. I return to Calabar straight from this event. However, I am leaving Mary behind to work with you and represent us.”
The Calabar Carnival and Festivals, a flagship event in the state’s tourism offerings, spans 32 days, celebrating culture, artistic excellence, and unity among people of diverse backgrounds. With live broadcasts reaching 42 countries in Africa, it has a cumulative viewership of over 200 million.
