By Zuleihat Owuiye, Nigeria

Nollywood has recorded a major milestone after more than 51,000 people gathered at Tafawa Balewa Square (TBS) in Lagos for a special screening of the crime thriller Black Market.

The massive gathering was organised in an attempt to set a Guinness World Record for the largest audience ever assembled for a movie screening at a single location.

The record was confirmed during the event on Saturday night, with an official Guinness World Records representative announcing that more than 51,000 people had attended the screening.

FilmOne, the distributor of Black Market, also announced the achievement on its social media platforms, describing the event as a historic moment for Nigeria’s film industry.

“51,000+ people. One screen. One moment that just made history,” the distributor stated.

FilmOne added that the gathering had officially achieved the Guinness World Record for the largest audience gathering for a movie screening.

The event drew thousands of movie lovers from different parts of Lagos, with the venue becoming heavily crowded several hours before the main screening.

Long queues were reportedly seen around the Tafawa Balewa Square area as attendees arrived to take part in the record-breaking event.

The organisers had initially set a target of 50,000 people for the screening. However, the final attendance exceeded the target, with more than 51,000 people recorded at the venue.

The gates opened at 2pm, while activities leading up to the screening included a red-carpet session that began at about 3pm. The main screening was scheduled to take place between 7pm and 8:30pm.

Beyond the movie itself, the event featured music, food, games and appearances by several entertainers and public figures.

Lagos State Deputy Governor, Obafemi Hamzat, arrived at the venue at about 8:50pm. Among the celebrities spotted at the event were actors Gabriel Afolayan, Real Warri Pikin and Tomi Ojo.

The large turnout highlighted the growing appetite for Nigerian cinema and the ability of locally produced films to attract audiences on a massive scale.

Black Market is a crime thriller produced by Rixel Studios, Signet Ring Studios and FilmOne Studios, with FilmOne handling its distribution.

The film was directed by Fatimah Binta Gimsay and produced by Nora Awolowo.

Its cast includes Omowunmi Dada, Lateef Adedimeji, Linda Ejiofor-Suleiman, Scarlet Gomez, Teniola Aladese, Susan Pwajok, Ibrahim Yekini, popularly known as Itele D Icon, and Uzor Arukwe, among others.

The movie follows the lives of five market women who become involved in a cross-border smuggling operation as they struggle with fuel scarcity and economic hardship.

Their situation takes a dramatic turn when the daughter of one of the women is kidnapped, setting off a series of events that drive the story forward.

The record-breaking screening was supported by the Lagos State Government through the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture, alongside several corporate partners.

The successful gathering has placed Black Market and the Nigerian film industry in the spotlight, following an event that brought tens of thousands of cinema lovers together under one roof to watch a Nollywood production.

The achievement also adds another notable moment to Nollywood’s growing history of large-scale film events and international recognition.