Black Market Sets Guinness World Record With 51,000 Viewers in Lagos

Nollywood has set a new Guinness World Record after 51,000 people watched the crime thriller Black Market at a single screening in Lagos.

The record was set on Saturday at Tafawa Balewa Square, where thousands of movie lovers gathered for the film’s screening.

Guinness World Records confirmed the achievement, putting the attendance above the previous record of 43,624 people set in 2015 during a screening of the Filipino film Felix Manalo at the Philippine Arena.

Although Lagos State Deputy Governor Obafemi Hamzat said about 64,000 people attended the event, Guinness recognised 51,000 viewers who stayed from the beginning of the film to the end.

The announcement triggered celebrations at the venue, with cheers and fireworks as the crowd marked the achievement.

The event was organised by Rixel Studios in partnership with FilmOne Studios, Signet Ring Studios and Switch Visuals Production.

The organisers had initially targeted 50,000 simultaneous viewers.

Crowds began arriving at Tafawa Balewa Square hours before the screening, with long queues forming around the venue.

The gates opened at 2 p.m., followed by a red carpet event before the main screening began at 7 p.m.

The programme also featured music, food, games and other entertainment.

Government officials and Nollywood personalities, including Deputy Governor Hamzat and Lagos State Commissioner for Tourism, Arts and Culture Toke Benson, attended the event.

Actors Lateef Adedimeji, Kunle Remi, Stan Nze, Linda Ejiofor and Gabriel Afolayan were also present, alongside filmmaker Kunle Afolayan.

Directed by Fatimah Binta Gimsay and co-written by Gimsay and Abdul Tijani-Ahmed, Black Market follows five women involved in a cross-border smuggling operation whose lives change after the daughter of one of them is kidnapped.

The film stars Linda Ejiofor-Suleiman, Lateef Adedimeji, Omowunmi Dada, Scarlet Gomez, Teniola Aladese, Susan Pwajok, Itele D Icon and Uzor Arukwe.

The record-breaking screening adds another major milestone to Nollywood’s growing global profile, bringing more than 50,000 viewers together at one venue for a Nigerian film.