Seven (7) Nigerians Who Have Broken The Guinness World Records

Guinness World Records, known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as The Guinness Book of Records and in previous United States editions as The Guinness Book of World Records, is a British reference book published annually, listing world records both of human achievements and the extremes of the natural world. Many people across the world each and every day have tried in their own small ways to be in these books to be known for some amazing/exceptional things they have done.

This article pays particular attention to Africa, Nigeria. Seven (7) amazing personalities who have stood out in the world records.

• TUNDE ONAKOYA, born on October 6, 1994, is a remarkable Nigerian chess player and coach. Tunde achieved a monumental feat in New York’s iconic Times Square, he broke the world chess marathon record, playing for over 60 consecutive hours. His initial goal was to surpass the previous record of 56 hours, 9 minutes, and 37 seconds. However, he pushed the boundaries, extending the marathon to a full 60 hours. Tunde’s endeavor was not just about breaking records; it had a profound cause. He aimed to raise US$1 million for the education of children in Africa, particularly those without access to quality education.

• STEPHEN KESHI, the youngest person to win the Africa Cup of Nations as a player and coach is Stephen Keshi (b. 31 January 1961, Nigeria) who was 52 years and 10 days old when he won the tournament as head coach of Nigeria at the FNB Stadium, Johannesburg, South Africa, on 10 February 2013

• CHINONSO ECHE, Eche also holds the record for the fastest time to 1000 football (soccer ball) touches while balancing a ball on the head in 7 min 46 sec in Ikot Ekpene, Nigeria, on 13 October 2021.

• BOSE OMOLAYO, the heaviest Para powerlift by a female in the -79 kg category is 144 kg (317 lb 7 oz), achieved by Bose Omolayo (Nigeria) at the World Para Powerlifting Championships in Tbilisi, Georgia, on 2 December 2021.

• FELA KUT, Fela Kuti recorded 46 albums as a solo artist over the course of a solo career spanning 23 years. The first solo album was recorded in 1969 and the last in 1992.

• WIZKID, the first track to reach one billion streams on Spotify is “One Dance” by Drake (Canada) featuring musicians Wizkid and Kyla, as of 16 December 2016.

• AFFY Kafayat Oluwatoyin Shafau Aka Kaffy popularly known by her stage 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.