Nollywood’s ‘Black Market’ Sets Guinness World Record With 51,258-Person Screening in Lagos

Nollywood has set a new global milestone after Black Market attracted 51,258 attendees to its public premiere at Tafawa Balewa Square (TBS), Lagos, on September 26, 2026. The screening set a Guinness World Record for the largest attendance at a film screening, surpassing the previous record of 43,624 people set by the Filipino film Felix Manalo in 2015.

The record-breaking event was spearheaded by producer Nora Awolowo of Rixel Studios and event production producer Damilola Osikoya of Switch Visual Limited. Beyond the record itself, the screening demonstrated an alternative way of bringing Nigerian films to large audiences outside conventional cinema venues.

Directed by Fatimah Binta Gimsay, who co-wrote the screenplay with Abdul Tijani-Ahmed, Black Market is a crime thriller about four women involved in cross-border smuggling. When a rival abducts the daughter of one of them, the group embarks on a mission that tests their loyalty and puts their lives at risk. The cast includes Linda Ejiofor-Suleiman, Lateef Adedimeji, Ibrahim “Itele D’ Icon” Yekini, Taye Arimoro, Scarlet Gomez, Teniola Aladese and Omowunmi Dada, who also serves as a co-executive producer.

Awolowo said the idea for the large-scale screening developed during conversations about producing and distributing Red Circle in 2025. She had initially considered taking the film to universities but abandoned the plan because of financial and logistical challenges. The concept gained momentum after an event organiser in Ilorin requested permission to screen Red Circle for at least 2,000 people without requiring the cast to attend. Awolowo granted the licence, and the experience helped demonstrate the potential of community screenings.

The approach builds on a distribution model that prioritises bringing films directly to audiences in their communities. Awolowo and her team had also explored community screenings alongside conventional theatrical distribution for Red Circle, with reported events in cities including Uyo, Owerri, Enugu and Kaduna. Reflecting on the Ilorin experience, Awolowo said the turnout made her consider whether a similar gathering could be organised in Lagos on a much larger scale.

Registrations for the Black Market screening eventually reached approximately 77,000, although 51,258 people attended the event. Awolowo said the confirmed attendance was an emotional moment after months of preparation, particularly because the team did not have all the infrastructure readily available and relied heavily on people who believed in the project. She also noted that some attendees reportedly travelled from places as far away as Akure and Onitsha, underlining the event’s reach beyond Lagos.

The scale of the production came with substantial costs and logistical demands. Awolowo declined to disclose the full budgets for the film and its premiere but said the event cost almost twice as much as making the movie. Osikoya described the expenditure as significant and said the original planning suggested the event could cost as much as ₦1 billion. The programme included games, brand activations, artiste performances and other activities to keep attendees engaged. Sponsors and brand partners included Zenith Bank, Swoop, MTN, Puma, Oraimo and Canon.

Osikoya said her team worked with more than 800 volunteers and coordinated arrangements involving the Nigerian Police, security personnel and the Ministry of Transportation to manage the crowd. She also described an extensive documentation operation involving more than 22 camera setups, including drones, steadicams and gimbals, alongside content creators. Both Awolowo and Osikoya said they hoped the achievement would lead to more ambitious productions and encourage Nigerian filmmakers to explore distribution models beyond traditional cinema releases.