It has been 20 years since the streets of Calabar lit up with what has become Africa’s biggest street party, Carnival Calabar.
Now, ahead of the 2025 edition, Cross River State Governor, Senator Bassey Otu, has unveiled “Traces of Time” as the official theme for the 20th-anniversary celebration of the carnival.
The event, held in Abuja, brought together past Governors, Industry leaders, and cultural icons.

Governor Bassey Otu said the 20th edition of Carnival Calabar is not just another celebration, but a journey through time, honoring the cultural legacy that began in 2005 under former Governor Donald Duke and sustained by his successors.
Chairman of the Cross River State Carnival Commission, Gabe Onah, took the audience down memory lane, recalling the bold vision that birthed the Carnival in 2005.
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In attendance were two former Governors of Cross River State, Donald Duke and Liyel Imoke, the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Abdullahi Ganduje, diplomats, heads of foreign missions, captains of industry, cultural ambassadors, and leaders of the seven carnival bands.
(Editor: Anoyoyo Ogiagboviogie)