The School of Eloquence, based in Lagos, has officially set a new Guinness World Record for the longest speech marathon by a team, successfully completing a 480-hour public speaking relay. The marathon, titled '20 days of Eloquence: Nigeria speaks to the World,' ran continuously from April 1 to 21. The event concluded with an official adjudication ceremony held yesterday, where representatives from Guinness World Records reviewed evidence and declared the new record.
Record-Breaking Achievement
Chief Adjudicator Lena Kuhlman, representing Guinness World Records, confirmed that the School of Eloquence surpassed the previous world record of 127 hours and 31 minutes, set by Toastmasters District 112 in New Zealand in 2018. Kuhlman officially announced the achievement after a review of livestream archives, video evidence, operational logs, and witness documentation. 'To sustain a continuous speech marathon over a full 20 days requires far more than people simply showing up to speak. It demands structure, precision, resilience, coordination, and an exceptional level of dedication from everyone involved behind the scenes,' she said. She later presented the official Guinness World Records certificate virtually and declared the institution 'officially amazing,' triggering loud celebration from the crowd gathered at the venue.
Vision Behind the Marathon
In his remarks, Founder and Dean of the school, Ubong Essien, described the achievement as more than a record-breaking attempt. He stated that it was designed to showcase the intellectual and communicative abilities of Nigerians. 'It's to let the world know that Nigerians have ideas. We can articulate, we can present, and we can engage in debates,' Essien said. According to him, the project was inspired by the institution's 20th anniversary celebration and its desire to leave a legacy that promotes public speaking and eloquence across society. He explained that the marathon was conceived to demonstrate that Nigerians can sustain high-level public discourse and to create a platform for citizens to voice opinions on national and global issues.
Importance of Communication
Essien stressed the importance of communication in leadership and nation-building, noting that every civilization is built on ideas that must be communicated effectively. He said the inability to articulate ideas clearly undermines progress in governance, business, education, and civic engagement. He also expressed concern about the lack of public speaking education in schools, noting that the institution created a programme called the 'Catch them young junior eloquence project' to train younger students in oratory and communication skills. The programme aims to embed communication training at the primary and secondary school levels to prepare students for leadership and public engagement.
Future Plans
Essien also announced plans to expand the school's eloquence advocacy programmes to Abuja later this year, with the aim of reaching a wider audience and strengthening communication training in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
