After over a decade of dormancy, the Lagos Fanti Carnival returned in full splendour during the 2025 Easter season, bringing Lagos Island to life with vibrant floats, Afro-Brazilian costumes, Yoruba drums, and a renewed sense of identity.
Revived under the leadership of Honourable Commissioner for Tourism, Arts, and Culture, Mrs. Toke Benson-Awoyinka, the event reconnected Lagosians with a cultural tradition rooted in 19th-century Afro-Brazilian returnees who brought samba, architecture, and Catholic-inspired carnivals to Lagos.
Historically hosted by the Aguda community in districts like Okepopo and Lafiaji, the carnival also honoured pre-Fanti Yoruba masquerade culture, reminding younger generations that Lagos’ heritage is both local and global.
Neglected in previous years due to non-indigenous leadership in tourism offices, the 2025 revival marked a return to cultural diplomacy, with high-profile participation from Hon. Fouad Oki and international displays like the Chinese Dragon Dance.
Experts see it as a potential economic game-changer.
“The Fanti Carnival should be part of Lagos’ cultural export strategy,” says Dr. Amiida Fraser, MFR. “This is economy in costume.”
With Brazil’s Rio Carnival generating over $1 billion annually, Lagos has an opportunity to position the Fanti Carnival as a global cultural attraction, blending tourism, education, and unity.
The inclusion of King’s College and the Cenotaph Monument symbolized the fusion of heritage, memory, and national pride.
In reviving Fanti, Lagos did more than throw a party. It reclaimed its voice in the global cultural chorus—where tradition is not just remembered, but reborn.
Headlinenews.news Special Report
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