Nigerians who have made it to the Guinness Book of World Records

Guinness World Records, known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as The Guinness Book of Records and in previous United States editions as The Guinness Book of World Records, is a British reference book published annually, listing world records both of human achievements and the extremes of the natural world. (Wikipedia)

Over the years, there are many Nigerians who have made it to the Guinness Book of World Records. We will touch a few of them here.

Let’s go.

Fela Kuti

The late Fela Kuti holds a Guinness world record for the most studio album recordings released. He achieved this when he recorded 46 albums as a solo artist over the course of a solo career that lasted for 23 years.

The first solo album was recorded in 1969 and the last in 1992.

Wizkid

Ayo Balogun, popularly known as Wizkid has a Guinness World Record for being the artist with the first track to reach one billion streams on Spotify. Wizkid achieved this with One Dance by Drake (Canada) which featured him and Kyla, on December 16, 2016.

Bose Omolayo

Bose Omolayo achieved a Guinness World Record in 2021 when she did the heaviest para power lift by a female in the -79 kg category at 144 kg (317 lb 7 oz).

Rema

Rema has recently made history by becoming the first artist to top the inaugural Middle Eastern and North Africa (MENA) chart, in 2023, with his hit single ‘Calm Down’.

Paul Kehinde

Paul Kehinde achieved All Africa Games Gold medalist setting an African Record of 214 kg. in December 2017 – Mexico World Championships Gold medalist with another World Record lift of 220.5 kg.

In December 2018, Paul Kehinde set another Guinness World Record for the heaviest para power lift by a male in the -65 kg category 221 kg (487 lb 3.5 oz).

Stephen Keshi

Stephen Keshi played as a defender in the Nigerian Super Eagles team. He broke the Guinness Book of World Record when he emerged as the youngest person to win the Africa Cup of Nations as a player and also as a coach. Stephen Keshi was the captain of the Nigerian national team (Super Eagles) when he won the Africa Cup of Nations tournament as a player in 1994. Also Stephen Keshi was the head coach of the Nigerian national team (Super Eagles) that won the Africa Cup of Nations title in Johannesburg, South Africa in February 2013. He broke the Guinness World Records in 2013 before his death.

Chinonso Eche

In November 2019, Chinonso Eche set the record for most consecutive football (soccer) touches in one minute while balancing a football on the head with a remarkable 111 touches.

Promising that won’t be his last and only record, he also achieved:

1. Fastest time to 1,000 football touches while balancing a ball on the head: 7 min 46 sec

2. Most football headers in a prone position in one minute: 233

3. Most football touches in a seated position while balancing a ball on the head in one minute: 197

Kaffy

Kaffy alongside with her team set the record for the longest dance ever. She danced for 52 hours and 3 minutes without stopping in 2006. Kaffy has been regarded as the best dancer in Africa. She is also regarded as the queen of break dance, the queen of chorography and the queen of all kinds of dance moves. He broke the Guinness World Records in 2006.

Adetunwase Adenle

Adetunwase holds the record of the biggest painting that has been painted by the largest number of people and this painting is as big as a football field which measures about 63.5 meters and 49.3 meters, and was painted by 350 volunteers. The painting represents the map of Nigeria.

Also, he holds the record for the biggest football jersey in the world.

Another one was having 300,000 students from 600 public schools in Lagos whom he trains to brush their teeth simultaneously at different locations. He broke the Guinness World Records in December 2018.

Haruna Abdulazeez

Haruna Abdulazeez is a 78- year-old Nigerian professional athlete. He has the most alternate hits with a tennis racket in one minute and most rugby ball touches with the feet in one minute in the male category. Abdulazeez also made the Guinness Book of Records with most American football touches with the feet in one minute. He made this achievement in Kano, Nigeria, on 1 October 2020. Abdulazeez still aims to be the top record holder in Africa.

Tuedon Morgan

Tuedon Morgan broke the Guinness Book of World Records, holding the record of the fastest time to run a half marathon on each continent and the North Pole. The record elapsed 62 days, 12 hours, 58 minutes and 49 seconds in 2015.

Olawunmi Treasures Bayode

Olawunmi Treasures Bayode, in 2018, set the new Guinness Record in the “Longest Marathon Reading Aloud” Category. The father of three kids grabbed 120 hours beating the previous record set by Nepali Deepak Sharma Bajagain who once broke the record of 113 hours 15 minutes.

These and some others have made Nigeria proud in their different fields, careers and passions.

Hey there, what record will you be breaking?