The School of Eloquence, Lagos, has commemorated its 20th anniversary with a 20-day non-stop speaking marathon aimed at setting a new Guinness World Record for the world’s longest public speaking relay.

The marathon, which ran for 480 consecutive hours, is now awaiting official confirmation from Guinness World Records.

The record, if verified, will surpass the existing record of about 127 hours and set a new global benchmark for sustained public speaking.

Founder of the institution, Ubong Essien, said the initiative was designed to elevate the value of public speaking and showcase Nigeria’s intellectual capacity to the global community.

He said that the event was streamed live for 20 consecutive days, ensuring that speakers addressed various subject matters continuously without interruption.

According to Essien, the initiative was aimed at reshaping global perception of Nigeria by showcasing the country’s intellectual depth beyond entertainment and sports.

Besides, the founder said the initiative was to demonstrate that Nigeria could convene sustained, substantive discourse on governance, policy, and innovation.

He further revealed that the attempt was officially supervised by Guinness World Records, with senior adjudicator, Lena Kuhlmann, assigned to monitor the exercise virtually.

The record is currently undergoing verification.

“This is an official attempt. We were licensed by Guinness World Records and assigned an adjudicator to supervise the process,” he said. Essien, while speaking on the selection criteria for participants, noted that speakers were required to deliver meaningful and impactful messages.

Future editions, he said, would be expanded to include documented recommendations for policymakers.

He, however, cited funding, logistics, and power supply as major obstacles, recalling a near-disruption when a generator malfunction threatened the live broadcast.

Essien expressed optimism that the initiative would inspire Nigerians to embrace dialogue, ideas, and constructive engagement in shaping the society.

He said the 480-hour marathon proved that sustained attention could be given to issues of national importance, and that speech, when structured and intentional, could be a tool for development.