Abuja Carnival slated for November 23 – Permanent Secretary

The Permanent Secretary, ministry of Information and Culture, Deaconess Grace Gekpe, has said this year’s edition of Abuja Carnival is billed for November 23 – 25, 2019.

She announced this during a stakeholders meeting in Abuja on Monday.

She said this year’s Abuja Carnival themed: “Culture For Peace,” will provide a veritable platform to further strengthen the bond of unity of the country after the 2019 general elections.

“This year’s carnival, among other gains, will provide platform to unwind, recreate and continue the onerous task of nation-building after the peaceful 2019 general elections,” she said.

Deaconess Gekpe said the ministry is equally exploring the Abuja Carnival as a vehicle for wealth creation, poverty reduction, employment generation and social integration as well as panacea for building a peaceful and stable society.

“Though diverse in language, tribe, culture and tradition as well as in religious and political philosophy, the carnival is conceived to showcase our strength even in our diversity and to forge a nation of one destiny, one people,” she stated.

Deaconess Gekpe called for input from the various stakeholders from the 36 states of the Federation and the FCT, who attended the technical forum with a view to enhancing the ministry’s capacity to hold a world-class carnival.

“This way, we will not only sustain the Abuja Carnival but surpass the standard of previous editions,” she said.

Speaking earlier, the Emir of Machina in Yobe state, Alhaji Bashir Albishir Bukar, stressed the need to diversify the nation’s economy by leveraging on culture and tourism because of their enormous potentials in wealth creation.

While citing other countries that turned their tourism and culture sector into huge economies, the Emir harped on the need for the stakeholders to look at the successes and challenges of the Abuja Carnival since inception in order to improve on the quality of the cultural fiesta.

Daily Trust reports that the carnival is a yearly event where delegates from the 36 states of the Federation and the FCT converge on the nation’s capital, Abuja to display their various cultures, costumes, cuisines, art and craft among others.