A Nigerian woman has completed a 144-hour Bible reading marathon in a bid to set a new Guinness World Record, with the attempt now awaiting official verification by Guinness World Records.

Habibat Salawudeen Ihiovi-Jack concluded the six-day challenge on June 29 after reading the Bible aloud continuously under Guinness World Records regulations, which allow participants only limited breaks for essential needs.

The reading marathon, titled “144 Hours in the Word”, began on June 22 at the Novotel in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

Organisers said the initiative was intended to encourage people to read the Bible more consistently while demonstrating the discipline required to complete a prolonged public reading.

Throughout the challenge, Ihiovi-Jack was supported by family members, friends, church members and other well-wishers, while videos posted on social media showed her reading from a lectern as a digital timer tracked the elapsed time.

According to organisers, the project was conceived in June 2022 and followed several years of planning and preparation before the official attempt.

Her church, Summit Bible Church in Port Harcourt, also rallied support for the event. Senior Pastor Andy Osakwe of Summit Bible Churches Worldwide said the marathon was intended to promote engagement with the Bible rather than focus solely on setting a world record.

“It is a project designed to exalt God’s Word and encourage believers to study the scriptures,” Osakwe said.

The attempt adds to a growing number of Guinness World Records bids by Nigerians across different categories in recent years, particularly endurance-based challenges that have attracted widespread public attention.

In 2024, Nigerian reader Samson Ajao was recognised by Guinness World Records for the longest marathon reading aloud after reading continuously for 215 hours, surpassing the previous 124-hour record held by Rysbai Isakov, who set the mark in 2022.

Unlike Ajao’s achievement, Ihiovi-Jack’s attempt focused specifically on reading the Holy Bible continuously under Guinness World Records guidelines.

Guinness World Records requires all record attempts to undergo a review process after supporting evidence, including video recordings, witness statements and timing documentation, has been submitted. A final decision is issued only after officials verify that all rules for the category have been met.

If approved, Ihiovi-Jack’s performance will be entered into the Guinness World Records database as the recognised benchmark for the category under which the attempt was submitted.