Dr. Nsikak Akpan, a lecturer at Foreign Links College of Health Sciences in Moro, Osun State, set a new world record for the longest marathon lecture on Sunday.
Speaking to journalists before the event, held at the college’s campus, Akpan revealed that his application to the Guinness World Records, with reference number 240427100506lml, had been approved for a 150-hour marathon lecture.
At around 4:30 am on Sunday, Akpan surpassed the previous record of 139 hours, 52 minutes, and 42 seconds set by Prof. Arvin Mishra of India in 2014, reaching 142 hours. By 2:30 pm, he achieved his goal of lecturing for 150 hours, sparking celebrations among students and journalists present.
Despite facing a medical emergency on Friday, Akpan persisted. “When the incident happened, quitting never crossed my mind. We had planned for two to three months, and I was ready. Once I was treated and deemed fit to continue, I resumed,” he said.
Reflecting on the challenges, Akpan noted, “Some doubted we would succeed due to financial constraints, but we did it without them. Challenges will always arise, but to succeed, you must press on regardless. I don’t feel tired; in fact, I feel like I could keep going.”