Nigerian Woman Launches 144-Hour Bible Reading Marathon for World Record

A Nigerian woman, Habibat Salawudeen Ihiovi-Jack, is currently midway through a grueling 144-hour Bible reading marathon in an effort to set a new Guinness World Record.

The event, titled “144 Hours in the Word,” commenced on June 22 at a venue in Port Harcourt, Rivers State. As of Saturday morning, Salawudeen had successfully surpassed the 100-hour mark, moving into the final stages of the endurance challenge. The marathon is strictly governed by official Guinness World Records guidelines, which mandate continuous reading aloud with only minimal, allotted breaks for essential needs.

Salawudeen, a member of The Summit Bible Church, describes the initiative as both a physical endurance feat and a spiritual endeavor intended to promote deep engagement with the scriptures. Her senior pastor, Dr. Andy Osakwe, has formally endorsed the project, characterizing it as a mission to inspire believers and celebrate the text.

The challenge has drawn significant public interest, both from supporters gathered on-site and from a growing online audience tracking her progress via digital timers. Her bid is part of a broader trend of Nigerians attempting various endurance-based world records.

While Salawudeen’s target is 144 hours, she faces a high bar set by previous titleholders. In 2024, another Nigerian, Samson Ajao, gained international recognition for setting a reading record of 215 hours nearly nine days of continuous reading surpassing the previous record of 124 hours established by Kyrgyzstan’s Rysbai Isakov in 2022.

The event is scheduled to conclude on July 2. Organizers have confirmed that the proceedings are being carefully documented to meet the rigorous verification standards required for potential inclusion in the Guinness World Records.