Nollywood has achieved another global milestone after Black Market, a Nigerian crime thriller, set a new Guinness World Records title for the largest audience at a film screening in a single location.
The record was achieved on Saturday at Tafawa Balewa Square (TBS), Lagos, where 51,000 qualifying viewers watched the movie from beginning to end.
The turnout surpassed the previous record of 43,624 viewers, which was set in 2015 when Felix Manalo was screened at the Philippine Arena in the Philippines.
Thousands of movie lovers began arriving at TBS hours before the screening, with long queues reported around the venue. The gates opened at about 2pm, while the main screening started around 7pm.
Although Lagos State Deputy Governor Obafemi Hamzat announced an attendance figure of 64,000, Guinness World Records clarified that only viewers who remained throughout the entire screening could be counted toward the record. This resulted in an official qualifying figure of 51,000.
The announcement triggered celebrations at the venue, with cheers and fireworks as organisers and attendees marked the achievement.
Black Market was directed by Fatimah Binta Gimsay and co-written by Gimsay and Abdul Tijani-Ahmed. The film follows five women involved in cross-border smuggling whose lives take a dramatic turn after the daughter of one of them is kidnapped.
The movie features a cast including Linda Ejiofor-Suleiman, Lateef Adedimeji, Omowunmi Dada, Scarlet Gomez, Teniola Aladese, Susan Pwajok, Ibrahim Yekini, popularly known as Itele D Icon, and Uzor Arukwe.
The screening was organised by Rixel Studios in collaboration with FilmOne Studios, Signet Ring Studios and Switch Visuals Production. The event also received support from the Lagos State Government through its Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture.
The achievement adds another notable chapter to Nollywood's growing international profile, turning a film premiere into a record-setting gathering of thousands of movie lovers in Lagos.
