As Nigerians roll out the drums today to commence the celebration of the annual Abuja Carnival, what will be uppermost in the mind of most participants is the issue of security. Given the spate of destruction in Abuja and many other parts of the country by criminals, it is left to be seen how far the event can go this year. OSBY ISIBOR writes.
?
This year’s Abuja Carnival tagged ‘Carnival of Reconciliation’ which commences today is expected to end next Tuesday. The Abuja Carnival was established in 2005 to showcase Abuja as a meeting place of cultures and crystallization of the creative spirit and cultural diversity of the Nigerian people. Events ranging from street parties, floats, boat regatta, durbar, masquerade displays, music concerts, exhibitions, after-parties, and food fairs have been carefully selected for the delight of Nigerians, tourists and other participants.
?
Having been bedeviled by financial upheavals and criticisms in the past, and now faced with security challenges in the country, organizers of this year’s carnival no doubt, have a big task convincing Nigerians to fully participate in the event. Though security has been an issue in Abuja lately, the Artistic Director of the carnival, Prof. Ojo-Bakare said, “All I can say is we are leaving no stone unturned. It’s a great concern; we have never had any security issue with the carnival. It won’t happen this year by the grace of God but we are doing everything possible to make sure that property and life are safe during the carnival. People should not be scared.”
?
Ojo Bakare assured Nigerians that the current security challenges in the country will not affect the 2011 carnival, saying that the Police were working hard to ensure a hitch-free event in terms of security.
?
“People should not build up fears that are not in existence; there is nothing like ‘they are coming to bomb Eagle Square because we are having a carnival’, and the carnival is the people’s carnival.
?
“We are working hard towards having a successful carnival; we don’t discuss security measures in public,” he stated.
?
Bakare said that carnivals were being held in other countries with bigger security challenges, adding that Nigeria should not be different.
?
The director said the success of the carnival depended on the cooperation of the participating states in terms of funding and the level of packaging of their events.
?
According to him, the carnival committee is employing new strategies to make the carnival more exciting for tourists who have expressed skepticism in the past.
?
Bakare further said the event would serve as a platform for reconciling various interest groups that are consequential to the survival and sustainability of the project.
?
He revealed that the carnival is expected to play the role of a unifying agent, where every state and political interest group would dovetail into one, regardless of the fact that various political groups that emerged during the last general elections may have affected the unity and oneness of the country.
?
“The most visible is political reconciliation. As a national carnival, the organisers cannot afford to be involved in partisan politics or work according to the dictate of certain political ideologies. The carnival would be used as a platform to reconcile divergent political opinions because we need peace and unity to move ahead as a nation.
?
“After six experimental editions, we will be hosting a contemporary Carnival that reflects what is obtainable in other parts of the world. This however does not imply that the artistic content would be devoid of cultural elements. Seventy per cent of the packaging will be contemporary while the remaining 30 per cent will project the cultural potentials of the people of Nigeria.”
?
Explaining what he meant by ‘contemporary’, Bakare said, “A carnival is different from a traditional festival, a carnival is a street party, theatre on the street. A carnival celebrates unusualness, celebrates extreme creativity so you don’t wear babanriga and stroll on the streets of Abuja and say you are wearing a carnival gear. The carnival henceforth is going to be a platform for uncommon creativity. Uncommon creativity in all its ramifications; every element of the carnival will exist to do just one thing, to celebrate uncommon, weird and wild creativity.” Stakeholders, he assured, have endorsed the move from cultural to contemporary.
?
But some stakeholders in the culture and tourism industry are already expressing reservation on the ability of the committee to deliver on the promise to organise a successful carnival.
?
Mr. Johnson Egbunah said lots of factors have been militating the successful hosting of the carnival because those who are involved in the organisation have not been honest with the country.
?
He said the Minster of Tourism, Edem Duke, being from Cross River state where the annual Calabar festival has been successful should ask questions from the Abuja Carnival committee why they have not been able to translate the carnival into a revenue-yielding venture since 2005.
?
He complained that things had been done the same way each year without success as most of the members of the committee are interested in what comes to them at the end of the event and not the number of tourists they can generate.
?
Chief Mike Amachree, a seasoned tourism practitioner, told journalists that any tourism event that does not generate money or revenue should be forgotten as tourism means money.
?
“For the last three editions of the Abuja Carnival, what you see are not foreign or domestic tourists, but organisers and those sponsored by the respective state governments to the events.”He added that organising the carnival yearly without developing the various tourist attractions in the country as well as infrastructure is a waste of public fund.
?
He said infrastructure in the country is down and that most of the tourist attractions are begging for attention, yet, the government will continue to waste money on Abuja carnival that has failed to attract tourists.
?
Another major issue analysts say will militated against the success of this year’s carnival is poor awareness campaign and mobilization by the organisers. Many people are either not aware of the event or are not just very enthusiastic about it as it takes off today.? Apparently reacting to criticisms that have trailed the organization of the events in previous years, the managers of the carnival have blamed inadequate funding for the poor showings. They are urging the government and the private sector to pump in more money into the carnival given its social and economic potentials.
?
But the Minister of Tourism, High Chief Edem Duke insists that beyond funding, the attitude of Nigerian leaders towards the carnival has not helped in raising the profile of the carnival since its inception. The minister suggested also that the scope of the event should be expanded to market core African values and heritage materials in order to attract Africans in the Diaspora. Duke wants more government officials to take the lead in raising the profile of the event as a means of shoring up funds for the nation.
?
Although the nation has suddenly realized that its fortunes lie in the tourism industry, the ineptitude of those responsible for the promotion and marketing of Nigeria has not helped in taking the country to the next level.
?
Many travel and tourism analysts are surprised that a product, rich in content and with several unique features, Abuja Carnival still remains a hard sale. For instance, Abuja Carnival Durbar parades the largest number of horses, elegantly decorated with costumes that cannot be easily picked up in the market.
?
Apart from admiring the dexterity of the horsemen, spinning the swords and spears in their hands every now and then, experts also say that the value of silver jewellery, draped on each horse, comes close to $10,000.
?
With northern expected to states bring thousands of horses for the carnival, Benue State parading its world famous and exceptional Kwag-hir puppetry, while the southern states flaunt their aquatic prowess, packaged alongside some notable historical discoveries, such as NOK sculpture and the Sukur World Heritage Site – enough products for a quality week-long holiday package that would excite any international tourist who wish to visit Nigeria.
?
The carnival has also suffered criticism by Christian and Islamic leaders, who condemn the idea of a carnival and asked organizers to discontinue it, saying that it would be a showcase of the immorality. The critics also say that the carnival is no different from the 1977 Festival of Arts and Culture (FESTAC), which many have said is largely responsible for Nigeria’s economic problems. Despite the opposition, the carnival is gradually becoming a household name, even among those that were against it from the beginning.
?
The carnival management has however continued to assure Nigerians that the event remains a purely tradition-driven project with no idolatry or sex contents. Nigerians and tourists alike look forward to an exciting carnival that will not only serve as a tourist attraction but also a revenue generating event for the government.