Nigerian cinema has recorded a historic global milestone after crime thriller Black Market attracted 51,000 moviegoers to a single screening in Lagos, breaking the Guinness World Record for the largest attendance at a film screening in one location.
The record-breaking spectacle took place on Saturday at Tafawa Balewa Square (TBS), Lagos, where thousands of movie lovers packed the venue for an evening that combined cinema, music, food, games, and entertainment.
The 51,000 qualifying attendance surpassed the previous record of 43,624 people set by Iglesia Ni Cristo during the screening of Felix Manalo at the Philippine Arena in Ciudad de Victoria, Philippines, on October 4, 2015.
Lagos State Deputy Governor Obafemi Hamzat said about 64,000 people attended the event. However, Guinness World Records recognised 51,000 as the qualifying figure, representing viewers who remained from the beginning of the movie until the end.
Confirmation of the feat sparked wild celebrations at TBS, with cheers and fireworks erupting as the Nigerian production officially entered the record books.
The event attracted several prominent personalities, including Hamzat; Lagos State Commissioner for Tourism, Arts and Culture, Toke Benson; and Nollywood stars Lateef Adedimeji, Kunle Remi, Stan Nze, Linda Ejiofor, Gabriel Afolayan, and Kunle Afolayan.
Produced in collaboration with FilmOne Studios, Signet Ring Studios, and Switch Visuals Production, Black Market is directed by Fatimah Binta Gimsay and co-written by Gimsay and Abdul Tijani-Ahmed.
The crime thriller follows five women caught up in a cross-border smuggling operation whose lives descend into turmoil after one of their daughters is kidnapped.
Its cast includes Linda Ejiofor-Suleiman, Lateef Adedimeji, Omowunmi Dada, Scarlet Gomez, Teniola Aladese, Susan Pwajok, Itele D Icon, and Uzor Arukwe.
Long queues formed around TBS earlier in the day as moviegoers streamed towards the venue. Gates opened at 2 p.m., while the red carpet kicked off at about 3 p.m. ahead of the main screening scheduled for 7 p.m.
Beyond the movie itself, organisers turned the occasion into a festival-like celebration featuring music, food, games, and other attractions.
By the end of the night, Black Market delivered a blockbuster screening — and again wrote Nollywood into Guinness World Records history.
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