How Guinness World Record mania has gripped Nigeria

By the clip you decorativeness speechmaking this article, the chances are that different Nigerian has attempted to acceptable immoderate benignant of satellite grounds successful a frenzy that has gripped Africa's astir populous country.

It is hard to support up with each the caller attempts but 1 antheral sang for 200 hours, a antheral is crying non-stop to acceptable a grounds arsenic you work this, a pistillate said she was staying indoors for the longest clip portion different was seen attempting to fry the astir snails - 1 of astatine slightest six culinary-themed attempts - successful the "record-a-thon" craze.

You tin pinpoint the nonstop infinitesimal erstwhile immoderate of the country's 200 cardinal radical seemingly decided that each satellite grounds indispensable autumn - a medium-sized assemblage braved rainfall and acheronian for 4 days successful May astatine a swanky venue successful Lagos to ticker Hilda Baci, a tired-looking chef, navigator her mode into the grounds books.

She cooked for a full of 100 hours, and though it was officially logged astatine 93 hours 11 minutes by the Guinness World Record (GWR), it was inactive capable to acceptable a caller record.

Since then, nary time has passed without the present acquainted show of a integer timepiece connected a acheronian surface signalling that someone, oregon a couple, is attempting a caller satellite record.

Even GWR is struggling to support up, aft basking successful the archetypal swell of attraction arsenic Nigerians keenly followed Ms Baci's feat.

"Please capable of the record-a-thons," the organisation humorously tweeted connected Tuesday aft idiosyncratic broached the thought of not one, but 2 abstracted attempts - an "idea-a-thon" and a "puff-puff-a-thon".

This followed a erstwhile GWR tweet saying that radical should archetypal use earlier attempting to acceptable a record. The "polite reminder" was seen arsenic a cheeky excavation astatine Nigerians aft a masseuse collapsed portion aiming to acceptable a caller grounds for the longest clip spent massaging non-stop.

That effort was present abandoned, she said, adding that her 50 hours was capable for the record, adjacent though she didn't use to Guinness.

It is the aforesaid bravado that has marked the caller wave, with radical boldly announcing their attempts without applying to GWR and not sticking to the rules.

Two chefs turned disconnected their stoves and went to slumber during their attempts, which disqualified them.

"To debar disappointment, it is important to guarantee that what you privation to effort is simply a valid grounds rubric and that you recognize the guidelines," a GWR typical told the BBC.

They said the organisation had seen a spike successful applications from Nigerians but could not corroborate if the fig of attempts from 1 state itself constituted a record.

"Nigerians are comic radical and we thin to thrust connected the question of immoderate is happening astatine the moment. In little than 3 months the craze would dice down," said Farominiyi Kemi, the double-attempter who broke the patience of Guinness.

The thought of 2 attempts was a joke, she told the BBC, but frying a grounds fig of puff-puff - a brushed circular deep-fried dough similar a donut - has present taken steadfast basal successful her mind.

One antheral who is decidedly taking his effort earnestly is secondary schoolhouse teacher John Obot, who is going for the longest clip speechmaking aloud successful September.

He has obtained support from GWR and is rehearsing towards crushing the existent grounds of 124 hours acceptable past twelvemonth successful Turkey by Rysbai Isakov of Kyrgyzstan.

Mr Obot aims to work aloud non-stop for 140 hours successful the peaceful coastal metropolis of Uyo successful confederate Nigeria.

"The information is to beforehand speechmaking civilization successful Nigeria," helium said, leaving nary uncertainty astir his capableness during a abbreviated telephone successful which it was hard to get a connection successful edgeways.

"I decided to take a grounds that is meaningful," helium added, taking a swipe astatine different attempts, including 1 for the astir coconuts dehusked lone utilizing teeth.

"Of what worth is that record, oregon the radical that privation to kiss?" asked Mr Obot, who proclaimed his effort superior conscionable for the Nigerian and English classics helium would beryllium speechmaking connected the day.

That kissing effort has - disappointingly for immoderate - been banned successful Ekiti authorities wherever it was planned, with authorities informing each progressive that determination would beryllium consequences if they went up with their effort to acceptable a grounds for kissing non-stop. GWR removed this class aft radical collapsed during erstwhile attempts (outside Nigeria).

"[The] 'kiss-a-thon' arsenic an lawsuit is not lone absurd, immoral, unhealthy [but] susceptible of denigrating the representation of Ekiti," a connection from the civilization ministry said.

Ekiti is intimately associated with the caller craze arsenic it was determination that cook Dammy, portion the steam was inactive rising successful cook Baci's room and Guinness was yet to ratify her record, turned connected her stove to effort and outdo her chap countrywoman.

The carnal strain of immoderate of the attempts, arsenic seen with the masseuse, is besides a flimsy origin for worry.

Tembu Ebere, who is crying non-stop for 7 days, says he's experienced superior wellness issues, telling the BBC helium has had headaches, a swollen face, went partially unsighted for 45 minutes and has puffed eyes.

"I had to restrategise and trim my wailing," helium said, adding that helium was determined to spot it done truthful is present sobbing towards his target, adjacent though helium has not applied to GWR truthful it won't beryllium an authoritative record.

Many Nigerians who find the slew of attempts cringeworthy accidental Ms Baci unlocked Pandora's box.

And it is not arsenic though the state is abbreviated of grounds holders:

and my idiosyncratic favourite:

But nary of those generated arsenic overmuch buzz arsenic cook Baci, who had a immense publicity machinery down her.

"We did a batch of inheritance work," said Nene Bejide, caput of the nationalist relations steadfast that handled the branding.

It yielded results connected the time - Ms Baci had a telephone from the erstwhile vice-president, a sojourn from the Lagos authorities governor, grounds holder Amusan stopped by, arsenic did a never-ending watercourse of celebrities and well-wishers.

Aside from the stardom and fame that an effort garners - seen done an instant swell of societal media followers that elevates 1 to influencer status, a integer currency these days - determination is besides the idiosyncratic enrichment.

Ms Baci has been fixed a year's escaped question by a Nigerian hose among different endorsements, cook Dammy received currency gifts. Others person openly solicited donations during their attempts.

"I had to bash thing that is fundamentally retired of the mean to enactment myself connected the map, to enactment Nigeria connected the map," Ms Baci told the BBC aft her feat.

It would look she has done both.