Tunde Onakoya: Nigerians who have recently won Guinness World Records

Nigerians who’ve recently won the Guinness World Record

Tunde Onakoya, Hilda Baci and Rema

Popular chess master, Tunde Onakoya, has joined the league of Nigerians who recently won the Guinness World Record.

The 29-year-old Onakoya broke the Guinness World Record for the longest chess marathon in New York’s Times Square, when he reached the 57-hour mark, surpassing the previous record of 56 hours and 9 minutes.

The previous record of 56 hours, 9 minutes, was held by Norwegian players Hallvard Haug Flatebø and Sjur Ferkingstad in 2018.

Nigerian gourmet chef, Hilda Baci entered the Guinness World Record for longest cooking hours by an individual lat year.

The Guinness Book of Records is a reference book that chronicles human and natural world records.

It was first published in 1955 by the Guinness Brewery in Ireland and has since become one of the world’s most well-known and frequently read reference books.

Individuals or groups must submit proof to the Guinness World Records team and go through a verification process to qualify for a world record listing.

Below are a brief information about a list of Nigerians that have broken the Guinness World Records in recent times:

1. Hilda Baci in May 2023

Hilda Effiong Bassey, popularly known as Hilda Baci, entered the Guinness World Record for the longest cooking marathon by an individual. Hilda Baci made Nigerians proud on May 15, 2023, in the cook-a-thon held in Lagos, which was set to last for 93 hours and eleven minutes.

2. Divine Ikubor (Rema) in May 2023

Nigerian music star, Divine Ikubor, popularly known as Rema, made it to the Guinness World Book of Records. Rema’s hit song, ‘Calm Down’ made history as the first No. 1 Hit on The Official MENA Chart (the world’s first regional streaming chart).

3. Gbenga Ezekiel in October 2022

Ezekiel achieved the most skips in one minute on one leg (278), breaking his own record of 265, and the most double under skips in one minute on one leg (144), beating the previous record of 132, set by India’s Himanshu Prajapati in 2021.

4. Folashade Oluwafemiayo in August 2022

In 2021, Folashade Oluwafemiayo won the gold medal in her event at the 2021 World Para Powerlifting Championships held in Tbilisi, Georgia. At this event, she also set a new world record of 152.5 kg. She competed at the 2022 Commonwealth Games where she won a gold medal in the heavyweight event.

5. Chukwuebuka Ezugha and Victor Richard Kipo in March 2022

The most consecutive passes of a football (soccer ball) between the head and soles (team of two) is 252, achieved by Chukwuebuka Ezugha and Victor Richard Kipo (both Nigeria), in Ikot Ekpene, Akwa Ibom, Nigeria, on 11 March 2022.

6. Vincent Okezie in March 2022

Vincent Okezie, on 3 March 2023, Master Okezie won his fifth GWR to become the current holder of the most football (soccer) ‘around the world’ tricks (71) with arms linked.

7. Bose Omolayo in December 2021

Bose Omolayo became the new Guinness World Record holder in 2021 when she made the heaviest para power lift by a female in the -79 kg category at 144 kg.

8. Chinonso Miracle Eche in October 2021

Chinonso Miracle Eze achieved the fastest time to 1,000 touches while balancing another ball on the head, and broke the Guinness World Records Holder for “Most Consecutive Football Touches In One Minute While Balancing a Ball On His Head.

9. Peter Aho in October 2021

Peter Aho became one of the bowlers from Nigeria to break the Guinness World Record after taking five wickets and a hat-trick in a T20i game and also holds the record for best bowling figures in T20is, claiming six wickets for five runs against Sierra Leone in 2021.

10. Bayo Omoboriowo in September 2021

Bayo Omoboriowo broke the Guinness World Record for creating The Largest Photo Book in 2021. The photo book, done in collaboration with The JT Agency and with the federal government’s support, is 60.84 square metres (654 square feet and 87 square inches) and was a recreation of a photo collection titled Discover Nigeria.

11. Tunde Onakoya in April 2024

Tunde Onakoya is the latest Nigerian to break the Guinness World Record after an unprecedented and uninterrupted 58-hour chess session, and reaching the 57-hour mark.