A Nigerian woman, Habibat Salawudeen Ihiovi-Jack, is attempting to set a new Guinness World Record for the longest Holy Bible reading marathon, aiming to read continuously for 144 hours in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
The record attempt, tagged “144 Hours in the Word,” began on June 22 at Novotel, Port Harcourt, and is expected to conclude on July 2 under official Guinness World Records guidelines.
As of Saturday, Habibat had crossed the 100-hour mark in the word, entering the final stretch of the endurance challenge.
According to the organisers, the attempt is being conducted under Guinness World Records regulations, which require continuous reading aloud, with only limited breaks permitted for essential needs.
Habibat, a member of The Summit Bible Church in Port Harcourt, described the challenge as a faith-driven initiative aimed at promoting deeper engagement with the Bible.
Her Senior Pastor, Dr Andy Osakwe of Summit Bible Churches Worldwide, also endorsed the attempt, saying it was more than a bid for a world record but a spiritual project intended to exalt God’s Word and inspire believers.
The challenge has attracted support from family members, friends and church members, while also drawing attention on social media as part of the growing wave of endurance record attempts by Nigerians.
Her attempt comes months after Guinness World Records officially recognised Nigerian Samson Ajao in 2024 for setting the record for the world’s longest marathon reading aloud.
The 27-year-old from Ibadan read continuously for 215 hours, nearly nine days, surpassing the previous record of 124 hours set by Kyrgyzstan’s Rysbai Isakov in 2022.
Ajao’s achievement added to Nigeria’s growing list of Guinness World Record attempts, following the popularity of endurance challenges such as Hilda Baci’s cook-a-thon and other marathon events.
