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Cally Air plans to increase its service to Calabar to three daily flight rotations from November, according to Carnival Calabar Chairman Chief Gabe Onah.
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Carnival Calabar reportedly generated ₦19 billion in economic activity last year, with local traders and hospitality businesses among the beneficiaries.
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Onah called for greater private-sector investment to expand the festival’s commercial potential and strengthen Cross River State’s tourism economy.
October 18, (THEWILL) – Carnival Calabar is strengthening Cross River State’s tourism economy by attracting visitors and stimulating local spending, with Cally Air planning to increase its flight frequency to three daily rotations from November, according to Chief Gabe Onah, chairman of Carnival Calabar.
Onah disclosed this on Sunday during the first dry run of the 2026 Carnival Calabar at Mary Slessor Roundabout in Calabar, saying improved air connectivity could support visitor arrivals and expand business opportunities during the tourism season.
He described the carnival as an experiential tourism product that draws people into the state and generates economic activity across the hospitality, transport, food and retail sectors.
“Carnival is a tourism product. It serves as a pull factor, bringing people out of their homes and attracting visitors to the state”, Onah stated.
He explained that the economic benefits extend beyond organised businesses to informal traders, including food sellers and vendors of sachet water and other everyday goods who serve spectators along the carnival route.
The chairman said the festival village, which operates for 30 days, provides a marketplace for traders through customised booths developed in collaboration with Guinness.
According to him, the informal sector has benefited considerably from the carnival, but greater private-sector investment is needed to expand the commercial opportunities and improve the sustainability of the festival.
Onah said the carnival generated ₦19 billion in economic activity last year, citing the state’s socioeconomic impact analysis. The figure was not independently verified for this report.
He also identified digital innovation as part of efforts to increase participation and commercial value. Through the MyCrossRiver app and collaboration with Nugi Technologies, the organisers are expanding opportunities for remote participation, band registration, merchandise purchases and online voting.
Onah said the initiative could help reach audiences beyond Calabar, including Nigerians in other cities and members of the diaspora, while creating new opportunities to commercialise the carnival’s creative assets.
He added that the festival also supports youth participation in the creative economy, with opportunities for young people to develop skills in carnival arts, costume design, performance and other creative activities.
The 2026 edition is themed Rethinking Our Collective Destiny, reflecting the organisers’ emphasis on unity and shared prosperity.
Onah said stronger private-sector participation, improved connectivity and wider use of digital platforms would be important to expanding the carnival’s economic contribution to Cross River State.
Janefrances Ebere Chibuzor is a Tourism Writer at THEWILL
