Meet 21 young Nigerians and Guinness World Record holders

Nigerians have continuously pushed the limits of incredible human performance, from remarkable record-breaking achievements to exceptional intellectual capability, earning their rightful position in the esteemed Guinness World Records. Daring the odds and taking chances that might or might not pay off are characteristics of many young Nigerians.They are fearless trailblazers who take on breathtaking endeavours that seem unattainable in the ordinary. These extraordinary Nigerians have inspired and enthralled the globe with their record-breaking accomplishments, leaving their names inscribed in the history books.

The Guinness Book of Records is a reference book that contains human and natural world records.

It was first published in 1955 by the Guinness Brewery in Ireland and has since become one of the world’s most well-known and frequently read reference books.

Individuals or groups must submit proof to the Guinness World Records team and go through a verification process to qualify for a world record listing.

Since Hilda Baci achieved recognition in the Guinness Book of World Records for the longest cooking time, there has been a surge in Nigerians showcasing their cooking skills

Hephzibah Akinwale

Age: 10

Record: fiction novel

At just 10 years old, Hephzibah Akinwale captivated the literary world with her extraordinary storytelling talent. Her debut novel, ‘Chronicles of the Time Keepers: Whisked Away,’ set a new world record for the longest fiction novel written by a child in 2023. Published on September 21, 2023, when Hephzibah Akinwale was only 10, the book boasts an impressive 58,000 words — surpassing the previous record of 44,000 words. Born on January 1, 2012, in Cambridge, England, Hephzibah discovered her passion for writing at just eight years old. She is leading a project titled ‘No Approval Needed,’ a collection designed to empower young girls through illustrations of ethnic minority characters accompanied by motivational quotes.

Chidinma Modupe Okafor

Age: 32

Record: Crocheting

Chidinma Modupe Okafor was certified by the Guinness World Records (GWR) as the new record holder for the longest crocheting marathon. The British reference book confirmed that Chidinma crocheted a white dinner gown continuously for an astonishing 72 hours, shattering the previous record of 34 hours and 7 minutes set by Alessandra Hayden of the United States in 2021.

Bayo Omoboriowo

Age: 37

Record: Photography

Bayo Omoboriowo broke the Guinness World Record for creating The Largest Photo Book in 2021. The photo book, done in collaboration with The JT Agency and with the federal government’s support, is 60.84 square metres (654 square feet and 87 square inches) and was a recreation of a photo collection titled Discover Nigeria.

Divine Ikubor (Rema)

Age: 25

Record: Music

Divine Ikubor aka Rema made history in May 2023 as the first artist to top the MENA charts setting a new Guinness Book of Records. Calm Down was released on February 11, 2022 and was one of the fastest songs to get over 100 million streams on Spotify. This song has made it to the Guinness Book of Records, making Rema the first artist to Top the MENA (Middle Eastern and North Africa) chart.

Hilda Baci

Age: 29

Record: Cooking

Nigerian chef Hilda Baci on May 15, 2023 broke the Guinness World Record for the longest cooking time. Hilda broke the record of 87 hours, 45 minutes, and 00 seconds set by Chef Lata Tondon in Rewa, India, in 2019.

Gbenga Ezekiel

Age: 18

Record: Skipping

Gbenga Ezekiel achieved the most skips in one minute on one leg (278), breaking his own record of 265, and the most double under skips in one minute on one leg (144), beating the previous record of 132, set by India’s Himanshu Prajapati in 2021.

Folashade Oluwafemiayo

Age: 40

Record: Sports

In 2021, Folashade Oluwafemiayo won the gold medal in her event at the 2021 World Para Powerlifting Championships held in Tbilisi, Georgia. At this event, she also set a new world record of 152.5 kg. She competed at the 2022 Commonwealth Games where she won a gold medal in the heavyweight event.

Bose Omolayo

Age: 36

Record: Sports

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. She’s a Nigerian sports personality and paralympian who has represented the country at various competitions.

Peter Aho

Age: 22

Record: Sports

Peter Aho became one of the bowlers from Nigeria to break the Guinness World Record after taking five wickets and a hat-trick in a T20i game and also holds the record for best bowling figures in T20is, claiming six wickets for five runs against Sierra Leone in 2021.

Tunde Onakoya

Age: 31

Record: Chess

Tunde Onakoya is the latest Nigerian to break the Guinness World Record after an unprecedented and uninterrupted 58-hour chess session, and reaching the 57-hour mark. He’s a world recognised Chess star and has continued to use his talent to teach underprivileged children the art of playing Chess.

Chinonso Eche

Age: 14

Record: Football

Chinonso Eche is a young Nigerian living in Nigeria. His passion stems from the general love for footballing activities in Nigeria. Chinons etched his name in the Guiness World Record as the most football headers in a prone position in one minute, which is 23.

Pinki Debbie

Age: 28

Record: Dancing

27 years old professional dancer Pinki Debbie, whose real name is Odumewu Deborah Sunmishola entered the Guinness World Records when she danced for 150 hours on November 24, 2017.

Samson Ajao

Age: 28

Record: Reading Aloud

27-year-old Samson Ajao from Osogbo, Nigeria performed the world’s longest marathon reading aloud, clocking in at 215 hours – just one hour short of nine full days. The previous record of 124 hours was set in 2022 by Rysbai Isakov (Kyrgyzstan). To achieve this record, the challenger must read aloud continuously from published works, with no more than a 30-second pause between items being read. Samson read around 100 books in total, covering subjects such as finance, sales, management, leadership, politics, health and mental wellness.27-year-old Samson Ajao from Osogbo, Nigeria, has performed the world’s longest marathon reading aloud, clocking in at 215 hours – just one hour short of nine full days.

Helen Williams

Age: 32

Record:

In May, wigmaker, Helen Williams from Lagos State, claimed her third Guinness World Records title by making the world’s widest wig. It measured 3.65 m (11 ft 11 in), making it slightly wider than the length of a Mini Cooper car.

Fola David

Age: 32

Record: Drawing

Nigerian doctor and visual artist, Fola David made history by surpassing the existing Guinness World Record (GWR) for the world’s largest drawing by an individual. The massive artwork, spanning an impressive 850 square meters, surpassed the previous record of 629.98 square meters held by Ravi Soni from India. Fola, 31, explained: “The drawing is a map of Nigeria showing the various cultures. “The Nigerian country is a multi-cultural nation. I wanted to create something that speaks to that and give people an avenue to celebrate their cultures.”

Age: 36

Record: Tri-Cycling

Nigerian cyclist, Sekinat Taiwo, broke the Guinness World Record, shattering the 250-kilometre target by covering 347 kilometres on a closed circuit held at the National Theatre in Lagos State.

The cyclist broke the record for the longest distance covered by an electric auto-rickshaw in 12 hours with the Teak EV’s state-of-the-art lithium-ion battery technology and was certified by the Guinness World Records adjudicator, Carl Saville.

Clara Chizoba Kronborg

Age: Over 40

Record: Interview

Nigerian Youtuber and social media entrepreneur, Clara Chizoba Kronborg, broke the Guiness world record for the longest interviewing marathon with a time of 55 hours 24 seconds.

The Guinness World Records (GWR) announced this via a post on its website on Wednesday.

The previous record was 37 hours 44 minutes which was achieved in 2022 by Rob Oliver from the United States of America.

Babajide Isreal Adebanjo

Age: 36

Record: Twerking

Babajide Isreal Adebanjo set a new Guinness World Record (GWR) for the longest duration of twerking. Mr Adebanjo achieved the feat in Lagos on January 14 after twerking for 3 hours and 30 minutes. Announcing the record on its official website, GWR said: “This record attempt was personal to Babajide as it was a way for him to get out of his comfort zone and to raise awareness for anyone suffering from depression all around the world”.

Oside Oluwole

Age: 25

Record: Video Game

A 24-year-old Nigerian man, Oside Oluwole, known as “Khoded,” set a new Guinness World Record for the “longest videogame marathon playing a soccer game.” According to Guinness World Records in a report via its website on Tuesday, Oluwole played for an astonishing 75 hours, far surpassing the previous record of 50 hours held by Englishman David Whitefoot since 2022. The biochemist-turned-car dealer from Ijebu Ode chose Dream League Soccer 2023, a mobile game he’s been passionate about since 2016, for his record attempt.

Helen Williams

Age: 32

Record:

In May, wigmaker, Helen Williams from Lagos State, claimed her third Guinness World Records title by making the world’s widest wig. It measured 3.65 m (11 ft 11 in), making it slightly wider than the length of a Mini Cooper car.

Ayelabola Ololade

Age: 28

Record: Catwalk

Ayelabola Ololade, a University of Lagos undergraduate  accomplished an extraordinary feat by completing a 130-km catwalk at the UNILAG indoor sports centre. Ms Ololade reached this milestone between 1 October and 5 by completing 2,058 laps, covering a total distance of 130.62km. The Computer Scientist aims to break a 41-year-old unbroken Guinness World Record for the longest distance walked on a catwalk by a model set by Irish models Robert Brown and Lorraine McCourt on September 21, 1983.

Owoyemi Qudus Adebayo

Age: 27

Record: Barbing

Owoyemi Qudus Adebayo from Lagos State, shaved four minutes off the world record for the fastest time to complete five skin fade haircuts, according to the Guinness World Records (GWR). The 26-year-old achieved a time of 14 minutes 56 seconds, smashing the previous record of 18 minutes 57 seconds set by South Africa’s Enrico Springfield in 2022