Nollywood actress Linda Ejiofor-Suleiman has celebrated a major career milestone after ‘Black Market’ set a Guinness World Record for the largest attendance at a single film screening.
With the feat, the actress challenged filmmakers to cast her if they want to break more records.
The historic screening took place on Saturday at Tafawa Balewa Square (TBS), Onikan, Lagos, where more than 51,000 people watched the film simultaneously.
The attendance surpassed the previous Guinness World Record of 43,624 viewers, making the screening a major achievement for the Nigerian film industry.
While Lagos State Deputy Governor Dr Obafemi Hamzat announced that 64,000 people attended the event, Guinness World Records confirmed 51,000 as the qualifying figure because those viewers remained at the venue from the beginning of the screening to the end.
Reacting to the achievement, Ejiofor-Suleiman took to social media to celebrate her involvement in the record-breaking production and her other recent career successes. She jokingly urged filmmakers seeking records to consider casting her, noting that she had now been associated with two records in one year.
“You want your film to break and shatter records, cast me in them. 2 records in one year! Chineke na my plug,” the actress wrote.
The Guinness World Record achievement adds to what has already been a successful year for Ejiofor-Suleiman. She recently won two Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards (AMVCAs), taking home the Best Lead Actress award for her performance as Ijeoma in ‘The Serpent’s Gift’ and Best Supporting Actress for her role as ‘Adama in The Herd’.
Following her double AMVCA victory, the actress shared a playful video featuring herself and her actor husband, Ibrahim Suleiman, in which she humorously bossed him around while holding her award plaques.
‘Black Market’ is directed by Fatimah Binta Gimsay and co-written by Abdul Tijani-Ahmed. The film is the second feature produced by Rixel Studios, following ‘Red Circle’, and was shot in Abeokuta.
The movie features a cast that includes Lateef Adedimeji, Linda Ejiofor-Suleiman, Ibrahim Yekini, Scarlet Gomez, Omowunmi Dada, Teniola Aladese, Susan Pwajok and Uzor Arukwe. Its record-setting premiere brought together thousands of viewers at the Lagos venue for the simultaneous screening.
The record attempt was powered by Rixel Studios, led by filmmaker Nora Awolowo, in collaboration with Switch Visuals Productions, headed by CEO Damilola Osikoya. The organisers transformed Tafawa Balewa Square into an entertainment hub ahead of the screening, with music, food, and games provided for attendees.
