The governor of Cross River State, Sen. Bassey Otu has announced the theme for the 2023 Carnival Calabar, tagged “Season of Sweetness.
This was disclosed by Mr Andrea Ekeng Inyang, Special Assistant to the Governor on New Media on Sunday, September 3, 2023.
According to Inyang, the Governor also returned the Children’s Carnival which was discontinued a long time ago due to security reasons.
There is also a returned of Kings and Queens parade, discontinued by former Governor Ben Ayade.
“Governor Otu announces 2023 Calabar Carnival theme: Season of Sweetness as Children King and Queen parade is restored,” Inyang said in a WhatsApp message sent to our Reporter and also on his Facebook page.
The theme is coming in barely 24 hours after the Governor appointed eight (8) into the Tourism Sector, including Mr Gabe Onah as the Executive Chairman of Cross River State Carnival Commission.
As the 15th Governor of Cross River State, this is the first Carnival Otu will be hosting.
Since its debut in 2004, the Carnival Calabar has picked different themes apart from 2020 and 2021, which were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Carnival has maintained the following themes; Sustaining Earth Treasures through Our Culture in 2008, Land of our Birth, Our People, Our Heritage in 2009, Our Strength and Resilience; the Bedrock of Our Future in 2010 and Endless Possibilities in 2011.
Others are The New Dawn in 2012, Ain’t No Stopping Us in 2013, Celebration Time in 2014, Climate Change in 2015, Climate Change – Bigger, Bolder, Better in 2016, and Migration in 2017.
The rest are Africanism in 2018, Humanity in 2019, Agro-Industrialisation in 2022 and now Season of Sweetness in 2023.
