The premiere of Nigerian film Black Market has set a Guinness World Record for the largest attendance at a film screening.
More than 51,000 people gathered at Tafawa Balewa Square, Lagos, for the record-setting screening on Saturday.
Black Market was directed by Fatimah Binta Gimsay and produced by Damilola Osikoya of Switch Visuals Productions and Nora Awolowo of Rixel Studios.
Speaking at the event, Lagos State Deputy Governor, Dr Obafemi Hamzat, commended the organisers and young creatives behind the project.
“Lagos doesn’t carry last. We know why we are here because this is a country that has talent, enormous amount of talent.
“Our challenge is not talent, it’s how to create the right platform for these talents,” he said.
Hamzat said the state appreciated individuals and organisations supporting the creative industry in Lagos and beyond.
He expressed optimism that Nigeria’s film industry, Nollywood, would continue to expand.
The film was written by Gimsay and Abdul Tijani-Ahmed, with Lateef Adedimeji, Linda Ejiofor-Suleiman, Omowunmi Dada, Scarlet Gomez and Teniola Aladese among its cast.
The record attempt targeted 50,000 attendees at a single screening. The target was set to surpass the previous Guinness World Records benchmark of 43,624 attendees, recorded in the Philippines in 2015.
The achievement marks a notable moment for Nigeria’s creative industry, placing Black Market at the centre of a record-setting cinema event in Lagos.
