The Nollywood crime thriller, Black Market, has entered the Guinness World Records (GWR) for the largest attendance at a film screening in a single location, with 51,000 people watching the movie at Tafawa Balewa Square (TBS) in Lagos.
The film screening took place on Saturday, drawing thousands of movie lovers to the Lagos venue for the highly anticipated premiere.
There was a massive crowd from 2 pm, with long queues reported around TBS earlier in the day as attendees arrived for the event. The main event started around 7 pm.
Guinness World Records confirmed the feat after the screening, officially recognizing 51,000 viewers as the qualifying attendance for the record.
This was after Obafemi Hamzat, Lagos deputy governor, had announced that 64,000 people attended the event.
The GWR, however, clarified that the qualifying figure was based on viewers who remained from the beginning to the end of the movie.
The announcement drew loud cheers, celebrations, and fireworks from the crowd.
There was a massive crowd from 2 pm, with long queues reported around TBS earlier in the day as attendees arrived for the event. The main event started around 7 pm.
Organizers had targeted 50,000 simultaneous viewers, aiming to surpass the previous record of 43,624, set by Iglesia Ni Cristo for their film ‘Felix Manalo’ at The Philippine Arena in Ciudad de Victoria, Philippines, on October 4, 2015.
The event was attended by Toke Benson, the commissioner for tourism, arts and culture, and Nollywood stars including Lateef Adedimeji, Kunle Remi, Stan Nze, Linda Ejiofor, Gabriel Afolayan, and Kunle Afolayan.
The film, which follows the studio’s 2025 debut ‘Red Circle, is produced in collaboration with FilmOne Studios, Signet Ring Studios, and Switch Visuals Production.
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 turmoil 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.
Credit: Channels TV
