Nollywood has made history after more than 51,000 people gathered at Tafawa Balewa Square in Lagos to watch the crime thriller *Black Market*, setting a new Guinness World Record for the largest attendance at a film screening in a single location.
The record breaking screening took place on Saturday, September 26, with a Guinness World Records official confirming that 51,000 viewers qualified for the new record.
FilmOne, the film’s distributor, also announced the achievement on social media, describing the moment as a major milestone for Nigerian cinema.
“51,000+ people. One screen. One moment that just made history,” the company said.
The new figure surpassed the previous record of 43,624 people, set in 2015 during a screening of the Filipino film *Felix Manalo* at the Philippine Arena.
The organisers had initially targeted 50,000 viewers for the screening. However, Guinness World Records recognised 51,000 people as the qualifying attendance based on those who remained at the venue from the beginning of the film to the end.
Although Lagos State Deputy Governor Obafemi Hamzat announced that about 64,000 people attended the event, the figure officially recognised for the Guinness record was 51,000.
Movie lovers began arriving at Tafawa Balewa Square from the afternoon after the gates opened at about 2pm. Long queues reportedly formed around the venue as thousands of people made their way into the screening.
A red carpet session began at about 3pm, while music, food, games and other entertainment activities were held ahead of the main screening, which started at about 7pm.
The event attracted several prominent personalities, including Lagos State Deputy Governor Obafemi Hamzat, Commissioner for Tourism, Arts and Culture Toke Benson and a number of Nollywood stars.
Beyond the record attempt, the filmmakers said the event was designed to celebrate Nigerian cinema and recreate the communal experience of watching a local film with friends, relatives and neighbours.
Actress and producer Omowunmi Dada, whose Signet Ring Studios worked on the project, has also spoken about the desire to create a shared cinema experience while giving women greater control over the stories they tell.
Black Market follows five market women involved in a cross border smuggling operation during a period of fuel scarcity and economic pressure. Their operation takes a dangerous turn after the daughter of one of the women is kidnapped.
The film was directed by Fatimah Binta Gimsay and produced by Nora Awolowo, with Omowunmi Dada also serving as an executive co producer. The cast includes Omowunmi Dada, Lateef Adedimeji, Linda Ejiofor Suleiman, Scarlet Gomez, Teniola Aladese, Susan Pwajok, Ibrahim Yekini, popularly known as Itele D Icon, and Uzor Arukwe.
Rixel Studios, Signet Ring Studios and FilmOne Studios are behind the film, while Switch Visuals Production handled the event production. The screening received support from the Lagos State Government and corporate partners.
With the 51,000 attendance officially recognised, Black Market has now placed Nollywood in the Guinness World Records for the largest attendance at a single location film screening.
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