The Guinness World Records (GWR) has issued a warning to Nigerians who are trying to break world records without proper verification and preparation. The warning came after Joyce Ijeoma, a Nigerian masseur, collapsed on stage while attempting to break the world record for the longest massage on different individuals.
Newsflash Nigeria reports that Ijeoma was aiming to massage 100 people for 100 hours, but she fainted after 40 hours of continuous massaging. She was rushed to the hospital and is said to be in stable condition.
Ijeoma’s attempt was part of a recent trend of Nigerians who are challenging various world records, especially in the field of cooking and teaching. In May, Nigerian chef Hilda Baci broke the world record for the longest cooking marathon by an individual, cooking for 93 hours non-stop.
Since then, several other Nigerian chefs have announced their plans to surpass Baci’s record, such as Damilola Adeparusi, Adeyeye Adeola and Temitope Adebayo. Hassan Joshua Bature, a computer science lecturer at the Federal University, Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE), also declared his intention to embark on a 150-hour teaching marathon.
However, GWR has cautioned Nigerians to consult with its team before attempting to break any world record. GWR said that breaking a world record requires proper verification, documentation and adherence to its guidelines and rules.
