The recently concluded 32-day Calabar Carnival in Cross River State supposedly attracted over 300,000 tourists, yet Nigeria continues to ignore the massive potential of its tourism sector. The Managing Director of the Cross River Tourism Bureau, Ekpenyong Ojoi, proudly announced this figure in Lagos on Saturday, highlighting a 42% increase compared to 2023.
Ojoi detailed that tourists flooded Calabar between November 1 and December 31, 2024, to visit attractions like the OMR, Marina Resort, and Kwa Falls. Most of these visitors reportedly came from Abuja, Lagos, and nearby Akwa Ibom State. In his words, “Calabar recorded over 300,000 tourists… a tremendous increase in tourists to the destination when compared to the 2023 figures of over 190,345 tourists.”
An estimated 450,000 onsite spectators supposedly witnessed the festival’s events, including the Carnival Calabar, Cultural Carnival, Children’s Carnival, and Bikers Carnival. That’s a significant jump from 279,486 in 2023. Even more astonishing, over 1.2 billion viewers were said to have tuned in via DSTV channel 198 worldwide, and another 100 million supposedly watched online. Despite this global attention, tourism remains Nigeria’s most underutilized goldmine. Imagine what could happen if the government actually prioritized this sector.
Accommodation stats seemed promising too. Ojoi claimed that Calabar’s hotel occupancy rate shot up to 68% from 57% in 2023, with over 90% of hotels fully booked between December 15 and December 29, 2024. Revenue from hotel bookings alone reportedly hit ₦2.79 billion ($1.74 million), with hotel rooms going for ₦25,000 per night. Breakfast and food sales raked in another ₦900 million ($562,000).
Ojoi highlighted that hotels like Hogis Royale, Metropolitan Hotel, and Monty Suits generated more than 54% of this revenue. Meanwhile, ticketed events such as Funfest, the Calabar Fashion Show, and Queen of Humanity brought in ₦100 million ($66,000). Nightclubs didn’t miss out either, pulling in ₦400 million ($267,000). Additional activities like food sales, online streaming, dance performances, and car rentals reportedly added ₦1 billion ($667,000) to the pot. But with all these money floating around, why is there no solid tourism infrastructure to show for it?
This carnival could have been a launchpad for Nigeria’s tourism industry, but instead, it’s just another flashy event without lasting impact. Nigeria continues to ignore the goldmine that is tourism. Imagine the possibilities if the government actually put effort into improving tourism infrastructure, safety, and marketing. Instead, we’re stuck celebrating temporary boosts in hotel bookings while failing to build a sustainable tourism economy.
Until Nigeria decides to take tourism seriously, events like the Calabar Carnival will remain nothing more than seasonal distractions with little to no long-term benefits.
