Calabar Festival, The Biggest Street Party in the Whole of Africa (Photos)

Posted by Thandiubani on Tue 29th Dec, 2015 - tori.ng

The governor of Cross River State, Ben Ayade has described the Calabar Festival as the biggest street party in the whole of Africa as it witnessed over 15 countries in attendance.

participants at the Calabar festival 2015

The biggest party in Africa was celebrated by over 15 countries who came from within and outside the continent. This was revealed by the Cross River State Governor, Ben Ayade, on Sunday as he marked off this year's edition.

Mr. Ayade hoped that all who came for the carnival left with good impression of the state as he maintained that hospitality is the vital force on which the initiative was built. It was indeed a hitch-free festival as many from different countries turned out in colourful dresses to spice the carnival.

another colourful participant at the festival

The Calabar Festival, said to be the biggest street party on the continent, kicked off with carnival dry runs, decoration of streets and opening of the festival village. The festival was created as part of the vision of making Cross River State, the number one tourist destination for Nigerians and tourists all over the world.

The carnival, which will last till December 31, has boosted the cultural rich of Nigeria, while entertaining millions from within and outside the country. Commenting on the carnival, Special Adviser on Security, Jude Ndaji, noted that proactive measures had been taken to ensure a hitch-free celebration.

“The state is ready for the carnival. We have adopted different approaches to ensure this year’s celebration is better than all the other carnivals we hosted.

“At this time last year, we were not facing the kind of security challenges we are having today. And so, we have adopted security measures to deal with the situation and we are sure of a hitch-free celebration.

“As we speak, all the security agencies in the state are on high alert and all the arrangements for the carnival have been concluded.

“Usually, a few embassies in the past indicated interest in the programme but this time around, 15 countries are coming and we are ready to host them and other visitors to our state,” he said.

Currently, he said, a new band has been created with Mr. Ayade as the head, bringing the number of bands to six. He noted that the new band was made up of celebrities, stars and professionals who would add a new touch to the carnival.