Black Market screening draws 51,000 as Nollywood sets Guinness World Record
More than 51,000 Nigerians gathered at Tafawa Balewa Square in Lagos on Saturday to watch the crime thriller, Black Market, as Nollywood set a new Guinness World Record for the largest audience gathering for a movie screening.
The feat was confirmed at the event, with a Guinness World Records official announcing that more than 51,000 people had attended the screening. FilmOne, the film’s distributor, also announced on its social media platforms that the gathering had officially set a world record.
“51,000+ people. One screen. One moment that just made history,” the company said, adding that Nigeria had not just watched a movie but had made history.
The screening was organised as an attempt to set a Guinness World Record, with organisers targeting an audience of 50,000 people at a single location. The gates opened at 2pm, followed by a red-carpet session at about 3pm, while the main screening was scheduled for between 7pm and 8:30pm.
Tafawa Balewa Square was packed with movie lovers, with long queues stretching towards the TBS roundabout. The programme also featured music, food and games, while Lagos State Deputy Governor, Obafemi Hamzat, arrived at about 8:50pm.
Among the celebrities spotted at the event were Gabriel Afolayan, Real Warri Pikin and Tomi Ojo. The event was supported by the Lagos State Government through the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture, alongside several corporate partners.
Black Market was produced by Rixel Studios, Signet Ring Studios and FilmOne Studios, and distributed by FilmOne. The film was directed by Fatimah Binta Gimsay and produced by Nora Awolowo.
The crime thriller stars Omowunmi Dada, Lateef Adedimeji, Linda Ejiofor-Suleiman, Scarlet Gomez, Teniola Aladese, Susan Pwajok, Ibrahim Yekini, popularly known as Itele D Icon, and Uzor Arukwe, among others. It follows five market women involved in a cross-border smuggling operation amid fuel scarcity and economic pressure before the daughter of one of the women is kidnapped.
