Why to break world record dey reign for Nigeria

By di time you go finish to read dis article, di chances na say anoda Nigerian go attempt to set one new world record, na di trend wey dey reign now for di West African kontri.

E dey hard to keep up wit all di recent attempts but one man bin sing for 200 hours, anoda man cry non-stop to set a record as you dey read dey go, one woman say she go stay inside house without going out for di longest time while anoda pesin dey attempt to fry di highest number of snails – dat na one of at least six cooking-themed attempts - for di "record-a-thon" trend.

You fit pinpoint di exact moment wen some of di kontri 200 million pipo decide say evri world record must fall – dat na wen one medium-sized stand under di rain and for night for four days for May for posh venue for Lagos to watch Hilda Baci, one tired-looking chef, cook her way into di record books.

She cook for a total of 100 hours, and although dem officially give her 93 hours 11 minutes by di way e dey still dey enof to set a new record Guinness World Record (GWR).

Since den, no day don pass without di famous sight of a digital clock for one dark screen wey dey signal say pesin, or a couple, dey attempt a new world record.

Even GWR dey struggle to keep up afta di whole hype about Baci achievement.

"Please enof of di record-a-thons," di organisation tweet on Tuesday afta pesin start di idea of not one, but two separate attempts – one na "idea-a-thon" and di second na "puff-puff-a-thon".

Dis dey come afta di previous GWR tweet wey say make pipo first apply before dem attempt to set a record. Di "polite reminder" dey like yab to Nigerians afta a woman wey dey massage pesin collapse as she dey plan to set a new record for di longest massage time non-stop.

Dat attempt dey abandoned, she tok, she add say her 50 hours dey enof for di record, even though she no apply to Guinness.

Na dat kain mind wey start di recent wave, wey make pipo to get mind to announce dia attempts without applying to GWR and no follow di rules.

Two chefs turned off dia stove go sleep during dia attempt, wey disqualify dem.

"To avoid disappointment, e dey important to make sure say wetin you dey try to attempt na valid record title and you understand di guidelines," one GWR representative tell BBC.

Dey say dia organisation don see a sharp increase in applications from Nigerians but dem no fit confirm if di number of attempts from one kontri itself na record on its own.

"Nigerians na funny pipo and we like to do wetin dey reign. In less dan three months di craze go die down," na so Farominiyi Kemi, di double-attempter wey break Guinness patience.

Di idea of two attempts na joke oh, she tell BBC, but frying di highest number of puff-puff - one soft round deep-fried dough wey dey like donut – dey her mind.

One man wey definitely dey take im attempt seriously na secondary school teacher John Obot, wey dey go for di longest time reading out loud in September.

Im don get im approval from GWR and im dey rehearse towards breaking di current record of 124 hours wey dem set last year for Turkey by Rysbai Isakov of Kyrgyzstan.

Oga Obot plan to read loud non-stop for 140 hours for di peaceful coastal city of Uyo for southern Nigeria.

"Di motivation na to promote reading culture for Nigeria," im tok.

"I decide to choose a record wey dey meaningful," im add, as im yab oda pipo attempts, including di one for the most coconuts (dehusked mean) to remove coconut body, di pesin attempt wit im teeth.

"Of wat value dat record be, or di pipo wey wan to kiss?" Oga Obot ask, wey tok say im attempt dey superior just for di Nigerian and English classics wey im go read on di day.

Dat kissing attempt - disappointingly for some pipo - dey banned now for Ekiti state wia dem bin plan am, di authorities dia warn evri bodi wey dey involved say if dem try to set a record for kissing non-stop, dem go face di consequences. GWR don remove dis category afta pipo bin collapse during previous attempts (outside Nigeria).

"[Di] 'kiss-a-thon' event no only dey one kain, e dey immoral, unhealthy [but] e fit spoil di image of Ekiti," na so one statement from di culture ministry tok.

Ekiti dey closely associated wit di recent craze, na dia wey chef Dammy do her on cookathon, wen di trend just dey rise from chef Baci and Guinness neva approve her record yet, she off her stove to try to beat her fellow kontri woman.

Di physical stress of some of di attempts, like di massager, na also small cause for worry.

Tembu Ebere, wey bin cry non-stop for seven days, say im bin experience serious health issues, e tell BBC say im bin get headaches, im face swell up, and im bin go partially blind for 45 minutes and im bin get bags under im eyes.

"I gatz restrategise and reduce my crying," e tok, im add say im bin dey determined to finish, even though im neva apply to GWR so e no go be an official record.

Many Nigerians wey dey para for all di attempts say Madam Baci show pipo road.

And no be say di kontri dey short of record holders:

Tobi Amusan - Women's 100 metres hurdles

Gbenga Ezekiel - Most skips in a minute for one leg

and my personal favourite:

Chinonso Eche, wey hold records for: most consecutive football touches in one minute while im balance football for im head; fastest time to 1,000 football touches while im balance ball for head; most football headers in a prone position, prone position na to lie face down in one minute and most football touches for siting position while im balance di ball for im head in one minute.

But none of dem popular reach chef Baci own, wey bin get big publicity behind her.

"We do a lot of background work," na so Nene Bejide, head of di public relations firm wey bin handle di branding.

E bring results on di day - Madam Baci bin receive call from di former vice-president, Lagos state govnor visit her, record holder Amusan stop by, as well as many celebrities and well-wishers.

Aside from the stardom and fame wey di attempt dey bring- e go push pesin social media followers up and give di pesin influencer status - money join too.

Madam Baci get one year free travel by one Nigerian airline among oda endorsements, chef Dammy receive cash gifts. Odas don openly ask for donations during dia attempts.

Na all dis goodies wey Baci and Dammy get dey make di trend dey reign for Nigeria.

"I bin get to do sometin different to put myself on di map, to put Nigeria on di map," Madam Baci tell BBC afta her attempt.

E look like she do di two tins we she tok.