Big Brother Naija Season 7 winner, Josephina ‘Phyna’ Otabor, has called for the Calabar Carnival to be made a mandatory national event, arguing that the festival period should be treated as a work-free celebration across Nigeria.
Phyna made the remarks during her first visit to Calabar, where she attended the “One-Million-Man March for Good Governance” held on Friday, 14 August 2026, in support of Cross River State Governor Bassey Edet Otu and Deputy Governor Peter Odey.
Speaking in an interview, Phyna said the carnival, famously dubbed “Africa’s Biggest Street Party,” has outgrown its current structure.
“They should make it mandatory for all states to be present. In fact, they should make it mandatory that the carnival period be like no work in Nigeria. Like it should just be a free period. They should just know that it’s enjoyment time, and everybody has to come to Calabar,” she said.
She added that even if Nigerians cannot all travel to Calabar, the festival should still be observed nationally. “If it’s for 10 days, it should be 10 days. Everybody will know that from this day in December, there will be no work anywhere. So people will always want to come to Calabar and make it more memorable,” Phyna said.
The Calabar Carnival, established in 2004, draws an estimated two to three million visitors each December. It features music, elaborate costumes and street parades across multiple bands.
The Cross River State government has not responded to Phyna’s proposal. Organisers are expected to unveil the 2026 carnival theme and band lineup in the coming weeks.
