21 Nigerians We Bet You Didn’t Know Were in the Guinness Book of Records

In the wake of Hilda Baci’s recent successful attempt to break the world record for the longest cooking marathon, Nigeria has once again garnered worldwide attention. This time, thankfully, it is for something positive.

Hilda Bassey Effiong, popularly known as Hilda Baci, an Akwa-Ibom-born chef, initially set out to cook for a long stretch of 96 hours in order to beat the previous record of 87 hours, 45 minutes. As a result of encouragement and support from Nigerians worldwide, she extended it to 100 hours and 40 minutes, which she successfully completed on the night of Monday, May 15, 2023.

While the Guinness World Record Board is taking its time to review the evidence before declaring her feat, there has been massive celebration and support pouring in for Hilda Baci worldwide.

However, this is not the first time a Nigerian has set out to beat a world record.

We have put together a list of Nigerians we bet you didn’t know are current world record holders:

WIZKID: 

Ayo Balogun, popularly referred to as Wizkid holds 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, which featured him and Kyla, on December 16, 2016.

Stephen Keshi: 

Nigerian football legend Stephen Keshi holds the Guinness World Record for the youngest person to win the Africa Cup of Nations as a player and a coach.

Paul Kehinde: 

In December 2018, Paul Kehinde set a Guinness World Record for the heaviest para power lift by a male in the -65 kg category: 221 kg (487 lb 3.5 oz). He did this after he broke his own world record of 220.5 kg, set at the World Championship in December 2017.

Mode9: 

British-born Nigerian rapper Babatunde Olusegun Adewale, known as Mode9, has won nine Headies: Best Rap Album (Malcolm IX – The Lost Sessions, 2004), Best Rap Single (“Cry”, 2007), and seven “Lyricist on the Roll” awards (2006–11 and 2013). These wins put him in the Guinness Book of World Records for the most Headies won.

REMA: 

Divine Ikubor, popularly known as Rema, made history this May 2023 as the first artist to top the MENA charts, setting a new Guinness Book of Records. His song ‘Calm Down’ secured the first number 1 hit on the world’s first regional streaming chart and first-ever official chart in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), and Guinness World Records has recognised the singer for achieving the historic feat in a statement on its website.

BLESSING OKAGBARE: 

The most appearances in Diamond League meetings by an athlete is 67. This was achieved by Blessing Okagbare (Nigeria) in the 100 metres, 200 metres, and long jump disciplines between July 3 and August 31, 2018.

Chinonso Eche: 

This 14-year-old is nearly a household name with the Guinness World Records at this point. He achieved his first record in 2019 for most consecutive football touches in one minute while balancing a football on the head with 111 (one hundred and eleven) touches. In 2021, he broke not one but three records.

1. Fastest time to 1000 (one thousand) football touches while balancing a ball on the head: 7 minutes, 46 seconds.
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.

GRACE ANOZIE: 

This Nigerian powerlifter set her first record at the 2008 Paralympics in Beijing by lifting a record 165kg in the +82.5 category and went on to top that same record in 2012 in Dubai, lifting 168kg.

BAYO OMOBORIOWO: 

Now the official photographer to President Muhammad Buhari, the 36-year-old holds the world record for creating the world’s largest photo book, measuring 60.84 square metres, in 2021.

HARUNA ABDULAZEEZ: 

In 2021, Haruna Abdulazeez set a world record in his hometown, Kano State, for the longest time controlling a tennis ball with a racket frame. He did this for 2 hours and 15 minutes.

TUEDON MORGAN:

The fastest time to run a half marathon on each continent and the North Pole for a female is 62 days, 12 hours, 58 minutes, and 49 seconds, and was achieved by Tuedon Morgan (Nigeria) from February 8 to April 12, 2015, to hold the Guinness World Record.

GBENGA EZEKIEL: 

Most recently, in October 2022, Gbenga Ezekiel achieved a world record for doing the most skips in one minute on one leg, amounting to 265 (two hundred and sixty-five) skips in total.

VICTOR RICHARD KIPO: 

The most alternating bounces of a football with the shins in one minute was achieved by Victor Richard Kipo in August 2022. He set a new record by bouncing the football 165 (one hundred and sixty-five) times in one minute.

LAURITTA ONYE: 

In 2016, at the Rio Paralympic Games in Brazil, Lauritta Onye broke the record for the farthest shot put by a female F40 athlete, amounting to 8.40m.

FLORA UGUNWA: 

The record for the farthest female F54 javelin throw was set in 2016 by Flora Ugunwa, who achieved a whopping 20.25 metres.

VINCENT OKEZIE:

The most consecutive backward handsprings with a football in between the legs are 10, and this was achieved in 2022 by Vincent Okezie.

TOBI AMUSAN: 

In 2022, Tobi Amusan set the record for the fastest female 100-metre hurdle at 12.12 seconds at the athletics championships in Oregon.

KAFFY: 

Kafayat Oluwatoyin Shafau, popularly known by the name Kaffy, is a Nigerian dancer, choreographer, dance instructor, and fitness coach. She broke the Guinness World Record for “Longest Dance Party” at the Nokia Silverbird Danceathon in 2006, where she and her group danced for 55 hours and 40 minutes.

FELA ANIKOLAPO-KUTI:

The late Nigerian music legend Fela Anilapo-Kuti holds the 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.

DJ YIN: 

Nigerian disc jockey Oyinka Asu-Johnson, professionally known as DJ Yin, broke the world record for the longest DJ set in October 2021. She broke the record by operating her set for 243 hours and 30 minutes at The Grill by Yanna, Ikoyi, Lagos. The record was previously held by a Nigerian, DJ Obi, when he performed for 230 hours at the Sao Cafe in Lagos, Nigeria.

BOSE OMOLAYO:

Bose Omolayo became the new Guinness World Record holder in 2021 when she made the heaviest para power lift by a female in the -79 kg category at 144 kg.

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