Nigeria’s School Of Eloquence Breaks Guinness World Record With Historic 480-hour Speech Marathon

The School of Eloquence, Lagos, Nigeria, has been renowned as the new holder of the world’s longest speech marathon by Guinness World Records.

The senior adjudicator at Guinness World Records, Lena Khulmann, at the live telecast held yesterday at the Ikoyi office of the school, said the Nigerian team recorded an extraordinary 480-hour performance that shattered the previous global benchmark.

The existing world record for the longest team speech marathon stood at 127 hours, 31 minutes and 43 seconds. New Zealand previously held the record, set in April 2018.

Khulmann remarked that the attempt was one of the most demanding record bids she had reviewed, even as she cited the extensive evidence verification process required for certification.

“Over the past weeks, I have carefully reviewed one of the most ambitious and demanding record attempts I have seen. After a thorough review of all submitted evidence, including video footage, live stream archives, operational logs, and witness documentation, I can now officially confirm that the School of Eloquence has achieved a total of 480 hours.

“What impressed me especially throughout the review process was the consistency and seriousness with which the entire attempt was conducted, and the collective spirit that carried it from beginning to end.

On behalf of Guinness World Records, I would like to present this certificate to the School of Eloquence. You are now officially Guinness World Records holders,” he said.

The dean of the School of Eloquence, Ubong Essien, in his address, raised concern about the lack of structured public speaking education in Nigeria’s schools, saying the gap continues to produce adults in leadership positions who struggle with effective communication.

Essien spoke in Lagos during the unveiling of the Guinness World Record certificate awarded to the academy for completing a 480-hour non-stop speech marathon, setting a new global record for the longest speech marathon by a team.

The feat achieved over 20 days surpassed the previous record of 127 hours, 31 minutes and 43 seconds set by Toastmasters District 112 in New Zealand in April 2018.

According to Essien, while the record has placed Nigeria on the global map for intellectual achievement, it also highlights the urgent need to address poor speaking culture through early education.

“It is a huge concern because many of the people we teach are adults who have already settled in life. High-ranking political officials come to the school, top executives and chief executive officers of leading companies come because they are afraid of speaking or afraid of making mistakes,” he said.

He added that the challenge could have been addressed much earlier if public speaking had been introduced as a structured part of the curriculum in primary and secondary schools. According to IM, the institution introduced its Junior Eloquence Initiative to expose younger Nigerians to communication skills before adulthood.

Essien described the Guinness World Record as a legacy project to mark the school’s 20th anniversary, noting that the initiative was conceived not only as a celebration but also as a platform to showcase Nigeria’s intellectual capacity to a global audience.

“It is a moment of pride, not just for me personally, but for Nigeri. From New Zealand to Nigeria, Nigeria is in the news for a historic positive reason, showing the world that we have substance, intellect and voice,” he said.

He, however, said the marathon came with significant logistical hurdles, including unstable power supply, internet challenges and the need to maintain continuous audience presence throughout the 20-day exercise, all under strict Guinness World Records guidelines.