Abuja Carnival Committee Partners Artists, Comedians For A Concert

Jul 24, 2010

By Lucky Onoriode George

The 2010 Abuja Carnival management committee has reached a land mark agreement with Abuja-based artists and comedians with a view to adding more value and content to this year’s event. As part of the committee’s pre-carnival events, a concert tagged, “Abuja Carnival Unity Concert” has been slated for the International Conference Centre on July 31 that will feature about 25 artists and comedians mostly from Abuja and other parts of the country.

Notable among the artists and comedians that are billed to feature are, Julius Agu, Style plus, Omah Omah, Zule Zoo, Dr. Ayuba and Julieta. Others are, Tony One Week, John Njamah, Baba 2010, Fred Bright, Bem Zar, Age Beeka, Jude Ororah among others. 

This was made public by the carnival committee at a media briefing held on July 22 in Abuja.

The carnival’s artistic director, Professor Ojo Bakare, said the concert is meant to create awareness and sensitise the public that the carnival is their event. As such, the management committee needs the people to come out and give the carnival the maximum support it deserves.

To achieve the aforementioned, the artistic director noted the committee has to create real publicity and awareness that the carnival belongs to the Nigerian people.

Professor Bakare noted that during last year’s carnival, the people did not fully participate in the event, which was why in the coming one there is a redirection of the route to areas where residents of Abuja can come out and see the carnival floats and processions.

“Our survey also revealed that many people, groups, and even professionals were angry with the way the carnival has been managed in the past,” he said.

He noted that until recently, the carnival was viewed as a civil servants’ programme; and as such, many stakeholders stayed away.

Not mincing words, Bakare opined that artists, comedians, potential sponsors and even the media have always maintained their distance from the carnival because of the aforementioned reasons.

“Part of what we are doing at the moment is rewriting the wrongs of the past by reaching out to the various interests through which the carnival is also creating a platform and partnership with some stakeholders in the sector,” Bakare stated.

As a strategy, the carnival organising committee is inviting some prominent Nigerians for support with the view to giving it the necessary endorsement and credibility that will ultimately lead to wider participation of the general public.

To be part of this year’s carnival event is the proposed invite of all youth groups across the Federal Capital Territory [FCT], to take part in the carnival come November.

Meanwhile, a group of American theatre arts students and lecturers who are in the country for exchange programme paid a courtesy call on the Abuja Carnival management committee.

The group in company of Teja Kareem, managing director of ZMirage, was led by Professor Segun Ojewuyi, a United States-based Nigerian who expressed satisfaction with the membership and the quality of the committee. 

They were briefed about the carnival, the intention of government, vision for the survival and sustenance of the annual carnival event.

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