30 Nigerians who have broken the Guinness World Record

From Hilda Baci to Tunde Onakoya, Wizkid, and Rema, here is every Nigerian, both past and present, who has broken the Guinness World Record.

Hilda Baci is arguably the most popular Nigerian Guinness World Record holder at the moment. On May 11, 2023, chef and influencer Hilda Baci set out to break the longest cooking marathon (individual) record, which was held by Indian chef Lata Tondon in 2019 with 87 hours and 45 minutes. 

After 4 days of hard work and perseverance, on May 15, 2023, Hilda Baci surpassed the previous record with a new time of 93 hours and 11 minutes. Her incredible feat caught like wildfire, which led to a massive GWR frenzy by Nigerians. She went ahead to break another record of the most-viewed tweet in GWR history with 34.3 million views.

The chess master, Tunde on the 20th of April 2024 set a new world record of 58 hours for the longest chess marathon at New York Times Square. 

Tunde Onakoya defeated the previous record holder, 2 Norwegians named Hallvard Haug Flatebo and Sjur Ferkingstad, who set a record at 56 hours, 9 minutes in 2018. He made Nigerians both home and abroad very proud of his achievement.

In 2006, popular energetic dancer Kafayat Safau, also known as Kaffy, and her team broke the Guinness World Record for the longest dance marathon. They participated in the Nokia Silverbird Danceathon, where they danced for 55 hours and 40 minutes, defeating the former record of 50 hours, which was set in Dublin, Ireland. 

Since the incredible feat, Kaffy has gone on to become one of the best dancers in Nigeria appearing in music videos of famous music stars.

Mavin superstar Divine Ikubor, known as Rema ever since his debut in the Nigerian music industry, has been breaking records left, right, and center not only in his home country but globally. 

On 29th November 2022, Rema broke the Guinness World Record when his song “Calm Down” rose to number one on the Official MENA Chart. This regional streaming chart which was introduced by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry in the Middle East and North Africa is the first of its kind in both North Africa and the Middle East.

Bose Omolayo is one of the Nigerians who have broken the Guinness World Record. The weightlifter on December 2, 2021, at the World Para Powerlifting Championships in Tbilisi, Georgia, set a world record in the 79kg women's category.

The a achieved 144 kg at the event, which also won her a gold medal.

Multi-award-winning boxer Anthony Joshua is not a newbie to breaking the Guinness World Record. He became a Guinness World Record holder in 2017 for the largest boxing lesson in which he taught 400 kids at the same time. With over 600 people in participation, he set another world record in 2018 for the largest boxing workout class.

On August 18, 2023, 16-year-old Dunsin Dubem, who specializes in skipping, did the most double under crossovers, or criss-crosss, as it is otherwise known, while skipping for 30 seconds in Akure. 

The number of criss-crosses Dubem did in 30 seconds was 78, beating the previous record which was held by a Philippine named Ryan Alonzo by five criss-crosses.

Joy Onaolapo at the Paralympic Games in London on September 1, 2012 achieved a lift of 131kg in the women’s 52kg division. She also won a gold medal for this feat. 

Not new to breaking records, Gbenga Ezekiel, who achieved a Guinness World record for “most skips on one leg in 1 minute” in recent years with 265 skips, broke his record on August 18th, 2023, with 276 skips. 

In 2021, an Indian named Himanshu Prajapathi held the record for the most skips on one leg in a minute before Gbenga Ezekiel took the title.

In 2023, the 17-year-old teenager, Philip Solomon achieved his first Guinness World Record for performing the most skips in 30 seconds on one leg. The total number of skips was 153. 

In the same year, he achieved two more records. One for the most rope crossovers while skipping on one leg in 30 seconds and the other for the most rope crossovers while skipping on one leg in 30 seconds blindfolded.

The total number of crossovers for the first record amounted to 69 while the total number of rope crossovers for the second record amounted to 62 defeating Himanshu Prajapati’s record.

The pioneer of Afrobeat, Fela Anikulapo Kuti, with a music career spanning 23 years, is also one of the Nigerians that have broken the Guinness World Record.  

The late Fela Kuti has a Guinness world record for the most studio album recordings released. As a solo artist, Fela recorded 46 albums. His first solo album was recorded in 1969 and his last was in 1992.

The longest dance marathon relay on April 6, 2019 was achieved by Team Jason Joshua Usoro.

The team, having danced for 53 hours 28 minutes and 47 seconds, consisted of himself, Nelson Ikukpu, Christopher, Esiri David, Kada Shammah, Otum Joshua, Nelson Steven, Alice, Paul Sneh, Janet Jiya, Chizzy, Abayomi Oyebanji, Trust, Modesola, Kivyston, Amos, and Shazam.

Popular Afrobeats musician Ayodeji Balogun, widely known as Wizkid on the 21st November 2021 achieved a Guinness World Record for the Most Artist of the Year Awards won at the All Africa Music Awards (AFRIMA). 

The total number of the Most Artist of the Year Wizkid has clinched at AFRIMA is 3. He won the first one in 2016, the second in 2017, and the third in 2021.

Just like her colleague Bose Omolayo, Folashade Oluwafemi Ayo set a new record in the heaviest power lift by a female in the 86kg category on the 3rd of December 2021. She achieved 152.5kg at the World Para Powerlifting Championships in Tbilisi, Georgia.

On the 24th of October 2021, Peter Aho, a Nigerian Bowler, smashed the Guinness World Record by taking five wickets and a hat-trick in a T20i game.

He also holds the record for the best bowling figures in T20is with six wickets for five runs against Sierra Leone. He was 18 years old when he achieved this feat.

In 2021, the photographer with the help of the federal government and in collaboration with JT Agency broke the Guinness World Record for the Largest Photo Book which measures 60.84 square meters (654 square feet and 87 inches). 

This book is a recreation of the photo book named “Discover Nigeria” and was verified on 30th September 2021.

A master at achieving the Guinness World Record, Vincent Okezie is a footballer from Nigeria who has 5 GWR under his belt. In 2022, at the age of 15, Vincent Okezie set four Guinness World Records. 

The first was for the most consecutive passes of a football between the head and soles while balancing on the back of a person. He achieved this with two other people, namely Chukwuebuka Ezugha and Victor Richard Kipo, with a total of 129 passes. 

The second Guiness World Record was for the most consecutive backward handsprings with a football (soccer ball) between the legs. The total number of backward handsprings was 10. These 2 records were achieved on the same day 11th March 2022. 

The third Guiness World Record Okezie broke was for the most over and underpasses of a football with feet touching in 1 minute, which accumulated to a total number of 40. Again, on that same day, Vincent broke another record alongside Victor Richard Kipo for the most transfers of footballs (soccer balls) spun on the finger in 30 seconds. The total number of transfers was 9.  

A year later, on March 3, 2023, Vincent alongside Victor again set the record for the most football (soccer) ‘around the world’ tricks with arms linked. The total number of tricks was 71.

On February 19, 2018, at the 9th Fazza 2018 World Para Powerlifting World Cup in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Paul Kehinde broke his record of 220.5 kg, which he set at the World Championship in December 2017. His new record for the heaviest para power lifts by a male in the 65kg category is 221 kg.

The Nigerian football legend, Stephen Keshi, achieved the GWR for being the youngest person to win the Africa Cup of Nations as a player and coach. 

He won the tournament as a player in 1994, defeating Zambia 2-1 in the final and as a coach in 2013, at 52 years old defeating Burkina Faso 1-0.

Chinonso Eche is among the Nigerians who have acquired more than one Guinness World Record. His first-ever record was in November 2019 for the most consecutive football (soccer) touches in 1 minute while balancing a football on your head. The total number of touches was 111. He beat his record on the 1st of February 2023 by 22 totalling 133. 

Chinonso Eche went ahead to set another record on October 13, 2021 for the most football headers (233) in a prone position in 1 minute. That same day, Chinonso Eche set the record for the fastest time to 1000 football touches while balancing a ball on the head. His record time was 7 minutes 46 seconds. 

He also achieved the most football touches in a seated position while balancing a ball on the head in 1 minute. The total number of football touches in this position is 197.

Haruna Abdulazeez achieved the longest time controlling a tennis ball with a racket frame in September 2021. His accumulated time was 2 hours 15 minutes.

In 2014, Mfon Udoh, a player for Enyimba who transferred from Awka United FC to the Nigerian Premier League, scored 23 goals in a single season. He defeated the former record holder, Jude Aneke, who is also Nigerian.

In 1999, Senator David Omueya, a Nigerian achieved the Guiness World Record for the most chartered accountants in one family. He and his family of 5 children are all members of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Wales and England, respectively.

Nigerian British-born rapper Babatunde Olusegun Adewale, popularly known as Modenine, achieved a GWR for the most Headies won on the 11th of May 2017.

He has a total of 9 Headies for Best Rap Album in 2006, Best Rap Single in 2007, and 7 “Lyricist on the Roll” awards from 2006-2011 and also in 2013.

On September 6th, 1992, a Nigerian by the name Adeoye Ajibola achieved the GWR for the fastest run 100 metres T46 male classification. Ajibola achieved this feat with a record-breaking 10.72 seconds at the Paralympic Games in Barcelona, Spain.

At the Paralympic Games in London, United Kingdom, on 30th August 2012, Yakubu Adesokan lifted 180 kg in the men’s 48kg powerlifting competition and set a Guinness World Record.

On the 11th of September 2016, Lucy Ejike at the Rio Paralympic Games in Brazil achieved a Guinness World Record for the heaviest powerlift (61 kg). She lifted 142kg and defeated the previous record holder with over 6kg.

The Paralympic athlete, Flora Ugwunwa, has set a Guinness World Record for the farthest female F54 javelin throw, which is 20.25 meters. This was during the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games in Brazil, that took place on the 13th of September.

Having attended the Athletics Diamond Meetings 67 times between July 2010 and August 2018, Blessing Okagbare was recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records for the most appearances in diamond league meetings by an athlete in February 2021.

From 8th February 2015 to 12th April 2015 Tuedon Morgan achieved the fastest time to run a half marathon on each continent and the North Pole. It took her 62 days, 12 hours, 58 minutes, and 49 seconds.

On September 11, 2016, Lauritta Onye achieved the farthest shot put by a female F40 athlete at the Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Her record is 8.40 meters.