Nollywood crime thriller Black Market has set a new Guinness World Record after more than 51,000 people watched the film at a single location in Lagos.
The record-breaking screening took place on Saturday at Tafawa Balewa Square (TBS), where thousands of movie lovers gathered for the film’s premiere.
The feat was confirmed at the event by a Guinness World Records official, with the qualifying attendance put at more than 51,000 viewers. PUNCH and Channels Television also reported the record following the screening.
The attendance surpassed the previous Guinness World Records benchmark of 43,624 people, set in 2015 when the Filipino film Felix Manalo was screened at the Philippine Arena in the Philippines. Guinness World Records lists that figure as the previous record for the largest attendance at a film screening.
Although Lagos State Deputy Governor Obafemi Hamzat announced an attendance figure of about 64,000 people, the Guinness qualifying figure was lower because the record required viewers to remain for the duration of the film.
The announcement of the successful attempt triggered celebrations at TBS, with the large crowd cheering as the new record was confirmed.
The organisers had initially targeted 50,000 simultaneous viewers, aiming to surpass the 43,624 record established more than a decade ago.
Crowds began arriving at TBS hours before the screening, with long queues reported around the venue. The gates opened at about 2pm, while the red carpet started around 3pm ahead of the main screening, which began later in the evening.
The event also featured music, food, games and other entertainment activities as attendees waited for the main screening.
Several government officials and Nollywood personalities attended the event, including Deputy Governor Obafemi Hamzat, Lagos State Commissioner for Tourism, Arts and Culture Toke Benson-Awoyinka, Lateef Adedimeji, Kunle Remi, Stan Nze, Linda Ejiofor, Gabriel Afolayan and Kunle Afolayan.
Black Market was directed by Fatimah Binta Gimsay and co-written by Gimsay and Abdul Tijani-Ahmed.
The film follows five women involved in a cross-border smuggling operation whose lives are disrupted after the daughter of one of them is kidnapped.
The cast includes Linda Ejiofor-Suleiman, Lateef Adedimeji, Omowunmi Dada, Scarlet Gomez, Teniola Aladese, Susan Pwajok, Itele D Icon and Uzor Arukwe, alongside other Nigerian actors.
The film was produced by Rixel Studios in collaboration with FilmOne Studios, Signet Ring Studios and Switch Visuals Production.
The record attempt had been in preparation for several weeks, with the organisers and partners planning a large-scale premiere designed to combine cinema, entertainment and a Guinness World Records attempt. Earlier reports said the organisers were targeting 50,000 people, while other pre-event projections had placed the expected crowd even higher.
With the qualifying attendance now confirmed at more than 51,000 viewers, Black Market has turned its Lagos premiere into a record-setting event for the Nigerian film industry.
The achievement also places Nollywood in the Guinness World Records spotlight for the scale of a single-location film screening, with thousands of Nigerians gathering at TBS to watch the same movie at the same time.
What a win 🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉@NoraAwolowo @dadaomowunmi #blackmarket #watchblackmarket #gwr pic.twitter.com/gCrpF6J02r
— The Creative ® (@thecreativexx) September 26, 2026
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