The provost, Foreign Links Campus, Moro, Osun State, Dr Nsikak Akpan, has announced plan to set a world record for the longest marathon lecture.
Akpan, in a statement on Sunday,said he has the permission of Guinness World Records to go on a 150 hours long marathon lecture starting from September 23, 2024.
He said he aimed to surpass the 139 hours record of the title holder, Arvind Mishra set in 2014.
The Public Health expert said most of the people who attempted Guinness World Records recently didn’t touch on the areas of academics.
Akpan who will be lecturing on ‘Relationship between Environment and Health’, at the college campus, said he decided to take up the challenge for the sake of academics.
He said, “I’m a Naturally born teacher who loves teaching a lot. Teaching for me is a hubby. So, that ignited my spirit to undertake the challenge of the marathon lecture.
“Recently, people have been attempting Guinness World Records in many areas but very little has been done towards academics, no wonder Arvind Mishra has been able to hold on to the title for over a decade since March 16, 2014.”
He added, “So, I felt it is only right for me to take up the challenge not just for the sake of the title but for the sake of academy which is my constituency. I’m aware that an Indian professor, Arvind Misra lectured for 139 hours but to break the record, I need to go beyond that.
“So, the Guinness World Records had approved 150 hours for me as the period for my lecture which is enough to break the record.
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“What gives me the confidence that I can surpass the record of the Indian professor is that possibilities only exist in the minds of people who will never succeed. I have a passion for teaching and that is enough encouragement that I would make it.
“The 150 hours will cover day and night. Guinness World Records in their arrangement gives a 5-minute break for every hour.
“The lecture will take a normal classroom lecture format. It will be a student-teacher interaction. The students will be in the class for the period but it won’t be a set of students that will be available for the 150 hours. A set of students according to Guinness World Records can only spend four hours.
“I know the task is enormous and demanding but I’m not alone in it. I have a team and we are working tirelessly to prepare for it. But we also need support and assistance from members of the public. We need support to take care of the welfare and other areas of the students.
“The Guinness World Records is not about the title or immediate benefit for me. I look beyond the title to what the people can benefit from. At the end of this programme, people will be conscious of what goes on in their environment.”
