Nollywood crime thriller Black Market has entered the Guinness World Records after attracting 51,000 verified viewers at a single screening in Lagos, setting a new global benchmark for the largest attendance at a film screening in one venue.
The record was achieved during a mass screening held at Tafawa Balewa Square (TBS) on Saturday, September 26, with Guinness World Records confirming that 51,000 attendees met the official requirements for the title.
The achievement surpassed the previous record of 43,624 viewers set in 2015 during the screening of the Filipino biographical film Felix Manalo at the Philippine Arena.
Celebrating the feat, the filmmakers described the event as a historic moment for Nollywood and Nigeria’s creative industry.
“We just made history! 51,000 people!!! World record breakers!!” the producers announced on social media after the confirmation.
Although Lagos State Deputy Governor Obafemi Hamzat disclosed that about 64,000 people attended the event, Guinness World Records counted only viewers who met the official criteria, including remaining at the venue from the beginning of the film until the end.
Directed by Fatimah Binta Gimsay and co-written with Abdul Tijani-Ahmed, Black Market tells the story of 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 features a star-studded cast including Linda Ejiofor-Suleiman, Lateef Adedimeji, Omowunmi Dada, Scarlet Gomez, Teniola Aladese, Susan Pwajok, Itele D Icon and Uzor Arukwe.
Black Market was produced by Rixel Studios, Signet Ring Studios and FilmOne Studios, while FilmOne Entertainment handled distribution. Switch Visuals organised the record-breaking event at TBS.
Beyond the film screening, the event featured music performances, food, games and other entertainment activities, turning the occasion into a large-scale cultural gathering.
Government officials and Nollywood personalities attended the event, including Deputy Governor Hamzat, Lagos State Commissioner for Tourism, Arts and Culture Toke Benson, actors Lateef Adedimeji, Kunle Remi, Stan Nze, Linda Ejiofor, Gabriel Afolayan and filmmaker Kunle Afolayan.
The record adds to a growing list of Guinness World Record achievements involving Nigerians, spanning food, entertainment and cultural events. Recent examples include celebrity chef Hilda Baci’s record for the world’s largest serving of rice and a mass Afrobeats dance record set in Lagos earlier this year.
For Nollywood, the Black Market achievement is more than a record. It highlights the industry’s growing ability to mobilise audiences at scale and reinforces Nigeria’s position as one of Africa’s leading creative and entertainment hubs.
