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Nollywood crime thriller Black Market has broken the Guinness World Record for the largest attendance at a film screening at a single location, with over 51,000 people watching the film at Tafawa Balewa Square (TBS), Lagos.
The record-breaking screening of the film took place on Saturday as thousands of film lovers gathered at the venue for the highly anticipated premiere.
Guinness World Records confirmed the feat following a screening of the film, officially recognizing the 51,000 audience members as qualifying for the record.
Although Lagos State Deputy Governor Obafemi Hamzat announced that 64,000 people attended the event, Guinness World Records said the qualifying figure was based on viewers who remained watching from start to finish of the film.
The announcement of the achievement drew cheers, celebrations and fireworks from the audience.
Organizers have targeted 50,000 concurrent viewers, aiming to surpass the previous record of 43,624 people, achieved in 2015 during a screening of Filipino film Felix Manalo at the Philippine Arena.
The screening of Black Market attracted a large crowd, with long lines reported around TBS earlier in the day as attendees arrived for the event.
Gates open at 2pm, with the red carpet starting around 3pm before the main screening scheduled for 7pm. The event also features music, food, games and other entertainment activities.
The event was attended by Lagos State Deputy Governor Obafemi Hamzat, Commissioner for Tourism, Arts and Culture Toke Benson, and Nollywood stars including Lateef Adedimeji, Kunle Remi, Stan Nze, Linda Ejiofor, Gabriel Afolayan and 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 are thrown into chaos after the daughter of one of them is kidnapped.
This film stars, among others, Linda Ejiofor-Suleiman, Lateef Aedimeji, Omowunmi Dada, Scarlet Gomez, Teniola Aladese, Susan Pwajok, Itele D Icon and Uzor Arukwe.
This film screening was organized by Rixel Studios in collaboration with FilmOne Studios, Signet Ring Studios, and Switch Visuals Production.
The event is planned as an official Guinness World Records attempt and is designed to surpass the attendance standard of 43,624 set more than a decade ago.
