Thousands of youths on Saturday participated in the first cultural carnival in Benue State as they formed a procession that marched along the major roads in Makurdi to the thrill of spectators.

The state governor, Gabriel Suswam who organized the carnival, said through his Special Assistant on Youths and Students Affairs, Mr. Terfa Akem that the even was organized mainly for the youths and for the purpose of removing their thoughts from crime and other social vices.

Christened, Benue Youths Cultural Carnival, the cultural show which was led by the recently crowned Miss Benue, Miss Blessing Onazi, and the newly crowned Mr. Benue, Mr. Bebe Yohanah as well as Terfa Akem, attracted cultural troupes from all the ethnic groups in the state, a show that lasted for about six hours.

The procession, which also comprised some of Benue's leading artists including Romeo and Teddy King, danced from the second gate of the Benue State University (BSU) along Makurdi- Gboko road through Iyorchia Ayu Road , Old Otukpo Road , Joe Akaahan Way and J.S. Tarka Way and ended at the Aku Stadium for the final address.

The governor's aide, Terfa Akem, described the show as "a huge success", saying the dream of his boss was to organize an event well packaged to meet world standard.

"The carnival is in consonance with the Suswam administration's slogan "Our Benue, Our Future" which main tenets among others, is to expound, export and exhibit the rich cultural endowment of Benue State to the outside world, to create an enabling environment for foreign investors, create jobs for our teeming youths and encourage creativity through cultural exhibition", Akem said.

He said the state parades some of the best talents, naming 2 Face Idibia, Bongos Ikwe, Tar Ukoh (The Mambisa Man), Zule Zoo, Romeo and Teddy King as some of the artists that have made Nigeria proud, adding that it is the hope of the governor that the carnival will discover more talents to be encouraged.