By Esther Bassey,Sydney Elike
Copyright thesun
By Esther Bassey
Nigeria has never been short of talent, and some of its citizens have pushed themselves so far that their names now sit proudly in the Guinness World Records.
From cooking and chess to music, powerlifting, and even hair-making, these Nigerians have stunned the world with their extraordinary feats.
Here are five of them and exactly how they did it:
1. Hilda Effiong Bassey
Hilda Effiong Bassey (popularly known as Hilda Baci) became a household name in May 2023 when she cooked her way into the Guinness World Records at Amore Gardens, Lekki, Lagos.
For four straight days, May 11 to May 15, she stood on her feet, preparing over 100 meals, feeding thousands of people, and setting a new record for the longest cooking marathon by an individual, clocking 93 hours and 11 minutes.
But she didn’t stop there. On September 12, 2025, she made history again in Lagos by cooking the largest single serving of Nigerian jollof rice, weighing 8,780 kilograms.
That record did not just celebrate her personal endurance; it put Nigeria’s most famous dish on the global culinary map.
2. Tunde Onakoya
Chess master and founder of the ‘Chess in Slums Africa’ initiative, Tunde Onakoya, took his love for the game to a global stage in April 2024.
Alongside American partner Shawn Martinez, he played chess non-stop for 64 hours in Times Square, New York.
The marathon was not only a bid for the record books, but also a way to raise awareness and funds for underprivileged children in Africa.
By the time Guinness confirmed the feat, Onakoya had placed Nigeria at the very heart of global chess history.
3. Divine Ikubor
Afrobeats superstar Divine Ikubor, better known as Rema, also has his name in Guinness World Records.
In 2023, his global hit ‘Calm Down’ remix with Selena Gomez became the first song to top the newly launched Official MENA (Middle East and North Africa) Chart.
The recognition was officially documented by Guinness, making him the first artist in history to achieve the milestone.
For a young man from Benin City, Edo State, the record proved how far Afrobeats had travelled and how much Nigeria now influences the world’s music stage.
4. Paul Kehinde
The late Paul Kehinde remains one of Nigeria’s most decorated para-powerlifters.
In 2018, at the Fazza World Para Powerlifting Championships in Dubai, he stunned the world by lifting 221 kilograms in the men’s under-65kg category.
The incredible feat broke the existing world record and earned him a place in the Guinness World Records.
Though Kehinde sadly passed away in 2021, his achievement is still recognised globally, standing as a proud reminder of Nigerian strength, resilience, and sporting excellence.
5. Helen Williams
While others chased records in sport and entertainment, Helen Williams, a Lagos-based wigmaker, took hers from the salon to the record books.
On July 7, 2023, she completed a jaw-dropping creation, a wig that measured 351.28 metres long.
It took her weeks of painstaking handwork to complete, and by the time Guinness measured it, Williams had secured her name in history as the producer of the longest handmade wig in the world.
Her record shone a spotlight on Nigeria’s booming beauty and fashion industry.
From Hilda Baci’s marathon in the kitchen, to Rema’s dominance on the charts, and Helen Williams’ creativity in hair-making, these achievements show that Nigerians are not just breaking limits, they are setting standards.
The Guinness World Records may be global, but Nigerians continue to leave their fingerprints boldly across its pages.
