By Alexander Ekemenah
The School of Eloquence, a Lagos-based public speaking school, has won a record-breaking Guiness World Record for “The Longest Speech Marathon by a Team”
The marathon which took place from April 1 to April 21, 2026, and titled “20 Days of Eloquence, Nigeria Speaks to the World” lasted 480 hours.
The result of the contest was unveiled in a virtual adjudication meeting in Lagos yesterday.
This victory shatters the previous record set by the Toastmasters District 112 in New Zealand in April 2018.
Mr. Abidemi David Edmond, the Lead of the planning committee, declared the victory was not just for the School of Eloquence alone but for the whole country.
Mr. Ubong Essien, Founder and Dean of School of Eloquence, said the Marathon was not about breaking time limit, but a profound demonstration of the intellectual contribution that Nigerians could make to the world of public speaking.
“It is to let the world know that Nigerians have great ideas, that we can articulate, we can present and we can engage in global debates”, Essien said.
Essien further emphasised that given the nation’s diverse capabilities, it is increasingly being noted the diverse capacities Nigeria and Nigerians are presenting and projecting to the world. While Nigerians are globally celebrated for making the best of jollof rice, “Nigerians have also proven an unmatched capacity in intellectual depth and public speaking”
Lena Kuhlman, Guinness World Records Chief Adjudicator, who joined the meeting via Zoom, declared the entire process as credible and transparent. She expressed her happiness while highlighting in comparison with the Toastmasters group achievement in New Zealand in 2018, the Nigeria-based School of Eloquence has emerged the longest speaking marathon by a team for a staggering 480 hours.
“To sustain a continuous speech marathon over 20 days requires far more than people simply showing up to speak. It demands structure, precision, resilience, coordination, and exceptional level of dedication from everyone involved behind the scenes”.
Kuhlman officially welcomed and admitted the School of Eloquence into the Guinness World Record.
The historic achievement coincided with the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the School of Eloquence, having been established in 2006 as Africa’s premier public speaking academy.
