Governor Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom State on Monday congratulated a teacher and indigene of the state, John Obot, who read for 145 hours.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that when certified by the World Guinness Record, he would be setting a new high.
Obot would have beaten a previous read aloud record of 124 hours set in September 2022 by a Kyrgyzstan, Rysbai Isakov, in Bursa, Turkey.
Obot read from a variety of books, mostly Nigerian literature, in a bid to set a new world record for the marathon read aloud contest.
He hit the 145-hour target on Sunday while reading: “Echoes of the Traditional Society,” authored by a journalist, James Akpandem.
Eno lauded Obot’s feat in a statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Ekerete Udoh.
He said: “This is what we all can do in our various fields with discipline, determination, focus and the right mindset.
“This is what the Akwa Ibom spirit represents: resilience, grit, determination and passion to excel.
“Your success has ignited our reading culture, and I look forward to celebrating you and other heroes and heroines during our forthcoming 36th state anniversary.”
NAN reports that Obot started reading on September 9 at the City View Hall, Watbridge Hotel, Uyo, the state capital, but encountered technical glitches in the process.
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Obot began all over on September 12 after approval from the World Guinness Record and eventually read for 145 hours.
The reading marathon was supported by the Uyo Book Club founded by Dr. Udene Nana, who was the Chief Programme Director of the reading exercise.