Nollywood's 'Black Market' Sets Guinness Record With 51,000 Viewers

Nollywood achieved a Guinness World Record on Saturday when the crime thriller 'Black Market' attracted more than 51,000 attendees to a mass screening at Tafawa Balewa Square in Lagos. The September 26 event marks the largest gathering of moviegoers at a single venue in global cinema history, with official Guinness World Records verification announced during the screening itself.

The record eclipses the previous benchmark of 43,624 viewers, set in 2015 when Filipino biographical film 'Felix Manalo' screened at the Philippine Arena. The Lagos event was supported by the Lagos State Government and featured the film's cast and crew, including executive co-producer and lead actor Omowunmi Dada, alongside entertainment, music, food, and gaming activities for attendees.

FilmOne, the film's distributor, publicised the achievement across social platforms. The premise of 'Black Market' centres on crime and intrigue, and the film's production team—including director Fatimah Binta Gimsay and producer Nora Awolowo—oversaw the logistics of hosting the record-breaking crowd at the historic Lagos venue.

The scale of the event required coordination with government bodies and event management infrastructure to accommodate the turnout. Tafawa Balewa Square, a central gathering point in Lagos, provided the open-air setting for the screening.

The achievement positions the film as a cultural moment for Nigeria's entertainment sector and demonstrates audience appetite for locally-produced cinema at scale.