By RismadarVoice Media
December 27, 2025
Every good event should be done with goodness, keeping in sight the goodness of PR, going after it.
There is no denying that Akwa Ibom Christmas Carol 2025 was a well-executed event.
From the coordination of performances to crowd control, security arrangements, stage setup, overall flow of activities, the programme reflected serious planning, attention to detail.
It was colourful, culturally rich, and truly captured the spirit of Christmas in Akwa Ibom State.
On ground, the event was a success. However, beyond the venue, the impact was lesser than what it should have been.
Despite the quality of the programme, its online visibility was weak.
The publicity did not match the scale and significance of the event. One noticeable gap was the absence of a deliberate strategy to engage indigenous influencers, content creators, bloggers, and digital media practitioners who understand the Akwa Ibom media space to command strong a local, regional followership online.
In today’s communication landscape, successful events are no longer judged only by physical attendance, also by their digital footprints.
Social media, blogs, online video platforms now shape public perception, extend reach, preserve events in public memory. Without a coordinated new media approach, even the most impressive programmes struggle to gain the attention they deserve – beyond their immediate environment.
Akwa Christmas Carol 2025 lacked a strong, unified digital presence.
There was no visible online build-up, limited real-time storytelling during the event, minimal post digital documentation.
As a result, the carol did not trend as expected, many Nigerians, including Akwa Ibom indigenes outside the state barely felt the pulse of the celebration.
This observation is not meant to diminish the effort of the organizers or discredit the success recorded on ground. Rather, it highlights an important area which requires improvement.
Media and publicity must be treated as a core component of every state-owned event, not an afterthought.
Effective planning should include structured digital campaigns, clear media coordination, intentional use of the new media tools. Indigenous influencers and digital practitioners should be identified early, integrated into publicity plans to ensure authentic storytelling, wider reach.
Local digital creators understand the culture, language, online behaviour of the people. When properly incorporated, they help in projecting state events in ways that resonates locally, globally.
Their involvement strengthens visibility, drives engagement, helps position the state positively in the digital space.
Akwa Ibom State has the creativity, cultural depth, capacity to host events that can attract national, international attention.
To fully harness this potential, there must be a conscious embrace of new media as a strategic partner in public events and communication.
Akwa Christmas Carol 2025 proved that excellence can be delivered on ground. Going forward, that same excellence should reflect online, ensuring that state events are not only experienced by those present but also seen, shared, and remembered far beyond the venue.
