President Bola Ahmed Tinubu congratulated Nigerian filmmakers Damilola Osikoya of Switch Visual Production and Nora Awolowo of Rixel Studios in Abuja on Monday, September 28, 2026, after their film Black Market set a Guinness World Record with 51,000 qualifying viewers at a screening in Lagos.

The record was achieved on Saturday, September 26, at Tafawa Balewa Square, where tens of thousands of movie lovers gathered for the Nollywood crime thriller.

Also read: Temi Nkem steals the night at BBNaija live eviction

Guinness World Records confirmed 51,000 viewers as the qualifying attendance, surpassing the previous record of 43,624 set in 2015 during a screening of Felix Manalo in the Philippines.

Tinubu congratulated Osikoya and Awolowo in a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.

The President described the achievement as evidence of the creativity, enterprise and ambition driving Nigeria’s entertainment industry.

“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 statement said.

The Black Market Guinness record followed an ambitious plan by the filmmakers to bring at least 50,000 people together for a simultaneous film screening at TBS.

The event ultimately exceeded that target. While Lagos State Deputy Governor Obafemi Hamzat said about 64,000 people attended the wider event, Guinness World Records used 51,000 as the official qualifying figure because the record requires viewers to remain from the beginning of the film to the end.

The achievement marked a significant moment for Nollywood, particularly because the previous record had stood for more than a decade.

The 2015 record was set at the Philippine Arena during the screening of Felix Manalo, when 43,624 people were recorded as attendees. The Lagos screening therefore surpassed that benchmark by more than 7,000 qualifying viewers.

Black Market is directed by Fatimah Binta Gimsay and follows five women involved in a cross-border smuggling operation whose lives become increasingly complicated after the daughter of one of them is kidnapped.

The film features Linda Ejiofor-Suleiman, Lateef Adedimeji, Omowunmi Dada, Scarlet Gomez, Teniola Aladese, Susan Pwajok, Ibrahim Yekini, also known as Itele D Icon, and Uzor Arukwe, among others.

Nora Awolowo is among the film’s producers, while Damilola Osikoya’s Switch Visuals Production handled the event production for the record attempt. Rixel Studios, FilmOne Studios and Signet Ring Studios were also involved in the project.

The scale of the event required extensive planning, with gates opening at 2pm before a red-carpet programme and the main screening later in the evening.

Large crowds began arriving at Tafawa Balewa Square well before the screening, with long queues forming around the venue.

Music, food, games and other entertainment activities were also part of the programme.

For Tinubu, the achievement represents more than a record for one film. His statement linked the milestone to the broader development of Nigeria’s creative economy.

“The President says Nigeria’s creative economy is building businesses, creating jobs and opening new markets for Nigerian talent,” Onanuga said.

Tinubu also said film, music, fashion and art were helping to take Nigerian stories and culture to audiences around the world.

He added that the success of Black Market demonstrated what could be achieved when Nigerian creativity was matched with enterprise and scale, while reaffirming his administration’s stated commitment to creating opportunities for young Nigerians to build businesses and livelihoods from their talents.

The President commended everyone involved in Black Market and wished the filmmakers further success.

The recognition comes as Nollywood continues to seek new ways to expand its international visibility, with the extraordinary turnout at TBS offering a powerful reminder of the size of Nigeria’s domestic audience for locally produced cinema.

Also read: Temi Nkem steals the night at BBNaija live eviction

For Osikoya, Awolowo and the wider Black Market team, the Guinness achievement has now transformed a film premiere into a landmark moment for Nigerian cinema, placing the production and its audience in the global record books.