Austin Cobham: We’re Recalibrating the Routes for Excitement, Brand Value at Carnival Calabar 2025

As Carnival Calabar marks its 20th edition, the Cross River State Carnival Commission says the focus this year is not on expansion, but on refinement. The Commission’s Executive Secretary, Austin Cobham, explains how early planning, tighter choreography and route recalibration are shaping what he describes as a more exciting, sponsor-friendly and globally competitive carnival that reflects the resilience and fulfilment of the people of Cross River State. Charles Ajunwa brings excerpts

What do we expect from Carnival Calabar 20th edition?

Well, I would not be too loud, but I think it is going to be one carnival that is properly choreographed to achieve a world-class standard. For me, I refuse that we add new properties. Rather, we improve and make the existing properties more effective and more exciting. So we are recalibrating the routes for excitement and brand value so that sponsors would also be able to have value for their investment in Carnival. Otherwise, it is a unique Carnival and it is going to be an expression of a fulfilled people. People who are fulfilled that after 20 years we have not gone down. It is going be an expression of the heart.

What is the Commission doing to make this year different?

For this year, there was an early plan and that will also dovetail into effective execution because what we would do differently this year is that we place things in their right perspectives on time. And then we are now beginning to plug and play. So it is going to be cannon balls and explosive all through.

If you had noticed that from the beginning of our first event, there has not been a drop. It has been rising in tempo. And then this is what I call the highlight weeks. What we call power week and then if the opening weeks were this strong, then what do you expect from the power week? So I see a total departure from the convention this year. So what we are doing this year that is going to be different is the proper choreography of the entire route that when Carnival begins it will end within 10-12 hours.

What are the challenges?

As a people, it is natural for man to have challenges because I have come to realise that man and challenges are tied together. So ours is not different, our own challenges are mostly natural. Coming from where we come from, the bottom pit of Nigeria on the map, that makes us a destination and not a route.

So generally we need to work hard to bring the numbers, to bring the tourists. Not like other places that theirs is mostly routes where you stop here and move to other parts of the country. So that is our first challenge. Then the second one is that Cross River has had to host carnival as a country funded by a state. So running a state in a national budget with a state income, is another one. And then our people are not exposed and educated to that understanding, especially corporate organisations and bodies who would actually have shown corporate social responsibility in the area of supporting Cross River State in this carnival. On the whole too, time factor, time has never been sufficient for any man so we try to squeeze ourselves into the timing. So it is been a wonderful time though.

How have been the last two years of the government?

Yes, the last two years of this government has been exciting for me. Having been a part of this office in the last two governments. I joined carnival commission two, three years to the close of Senator Imoke’s government, and the entire tenure of Ayade’s government, and that is two years now. I have never had it this exciting. What is really, really going for this government is that His Excellency, Governor Bassey Otu, humbles himself to listen to everybody, not minding your position or your strata. So he listens to you and he takes what he hears into concentration and then acts upon it. So for me, it’s the best time to work for government. It’s the very best time because the climate and the atmosphere is very conducive to work with.