Cross River moves to restructure Calabar Carnival after 20 years

The Cross River Government has put plans in motion to restructure the annual Calabar Carnival after 20 years of existence.

Nsa Gill, the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, said this in a statement to newsmen in Calabar on Sunday.

He said that the Gov. Bassey Otu-led government had setup a 13-member carnival review committee headed by Chief Edem Duke, a former Minister of Culture.

Gill said that the review committee had a 10-point terms of reference, and that its report would be delivered within two weeks.

According to him, the essence of the review is to improve the standard of the carnival, and to align it with global trends in tourism product development and repackaging.

“The review is aimed at restructuring the carnival, which showcases one of the world’s finest display of arts, culture, and tradition.

“The committee is also to review the past 20 years of the carnival in order to identify the high points and the low points.

“The committee is to identify the success factors of the last 20 years, restructure the bands as a creative entity, and explore organic ways of improving the carnival,” the statement read in parts.

The governor’s aide further said that the committee would advise the government on how to improve regulations and the organisation of the event to align with world best practices.

“Another task of the committee is to harness marketing opportunities in order to improve funding, and to give the event its deserved international visibility.

It would be recalled that the Calabar Carnival was initiated in 2005 by the administration of Donald Duke, a former governor of the state.