President Bola Tinubu has reacted to the Guinness World Record set by Nigerian filmmakers Damilola Osikoya and Nora Awolowo after their film, Black Market, drew a record 51,000 qualifying viewers at a single-location screening in Lagos.
The Nollywood crime thriller set the record on Saturday, September 26, at Tafawa Balewa Square (TBS), where Guinness World Records certified 51,000 attendees who met the viewing requirements after the screening.
In a statement by Bayo Onanuga, Tinubu described the feat as evidence of the talent and enterprise driving Nigeria’s creative industry.
“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu congratulates Nigerian filmmakers Damilola Osikoya of Switch Visual Production and Nora Awolowo of Rixel Studios on achieving the Guinness World Record for the largest attendance at a film screening.
“The record was achieved with the screening of Black Market in Lagos on September 26, 2026. President Tinubu celebrates the filmmakers for their creativity, enterprise and ambition, describing their achievement as further evidence of the extraordinary talent driving Nigeria’s creative industry.
“The President says Nigeria’s creative economy is building businesses, creating jobs and opening new markets for Nigerian talent, while film, music, fashion and art carry the country’s stories and culture to audiences worldwide.
“He says the achievement of Black Market shows what is possible when Nigerian creativity is matched with enterprise and scale, and reaffirms his administration’s commitment to creating more opportunities for young Nigerians to build livelihoods and globally competitive businesses from their talent.
“President Tinubu commends everyone involved in Black Market and wishes the team greater success,” the statement reads.
The screening drew a larger crowd than the number ultimately recognised by Guinness World Records, with reports putting total attendance at about 64,000. However, Guinness counted only the 51,000 viewers who met its qualifying requirement of remaining for the screening.
The previous record of 43,624 was set on October 4, 2015, when Iglesia Ni Cristo screened the Filipino film Felix Manalo at the Philippine Arena in Ciudad de Victoria, Philippines.
Guinness World Records lists the same figure for both the largest attendance at a film screening and the largest audience at a film premiere.