Nigeria’s Ben Dancer attempts to break world record for non-stop dancing

The scene around him has become something of a street party. Crowds of young people have gathered to cheer him on.

Videos from the attempt have gone viral across social media platforms, drawing more people to the venue.

Moronumubo Akodu, who has repeatedly visited to support Ben Dancer, said she was impressed by his determination but worried about the physical toll.

“It is actually insane but I am so proud of him,” she told the BBC.

Emmanuel Ulelu, who visited the performance twice, said he noticed a striking change in the dancer’s energy.

“On day two, you could see the stress,” he said.

“Even after just three hours of dancing at the location myself, I wondered how he would keep going.”

But when he returned 16 hours into day five, he said Ben Dancer appeared more energetic than before.

“It reminded me that we’re capable of doing unbelievable things when how badly we want something matches and surpasses the difficulty of achieving it,” he said.

Nigeria has also developed a strong relationship with Guinness World Records, particularly in entertainment.

In 2023, Nigerian chef Hilda Baci cooked continuously for 93 hours and 11 minutes in Lagos, which Guinness officially recognised as a new record.

Her achievement sparked a surge of interest in record attempts in Nigeria, even though others have since surpassed her.

Guinness says it received more than 1,500 new applications from the country within two months of her cook-a-thon, including events such as reading, singing, and crocheting.