72 hours, 4320+ Nails Painted, Seleme Dachor Nailed a Guinness World Record
Nigerian nail technician, Seleme Dachor, set out to achieve a world first: the longest marathon painting of artificial nails. Dachor, a young mom, announced her attempt, a “nail-a-thon,” on Facebook on April 15th, 2024, aiming to break a Guinness World Record (GWR) for the most continuous hours spent painting artificial nails.
Day in and day out, the tension crackled in the air at Tamarald Events Center in Jos. Upbeat music pulsed through the environment, punctuated by excited chatter. Friends, family, and residents had gathered to cheer on Dachor in her historic attempt.
The atmosphere was electric with anticipation as everyone kept their eyes glued to Dachor, her nimble fingers working tirelessly.
While official GWR confirmation is pending, Dachor completed 72 hours and 3 minutes of nail painting, potentially setting a new record.
According to Gbolahan Samuel Adenle, her manager, Dachor’s motivation for attempting this feat was to defy the stereotypes and limitations often imposed on teenage mothers. Adenle recalled Dachor saying, “She wanted to change the narrative and prove that she had more to offer, despite the rejections she faced as a single teenage mom.”
The journey was not without its challenges, particularly on the first day when funding was scarce and the team had to rely on social capital. Fortunately, Dachor’s grandmother played a crucial role, making calls and helping to mobilise support.
“Seleme met me one day showing me the approval of Guinness. I was disturbed that she was not able to handle the pressure but she made sure she did everything herself and today she has made me a happy grandmother,” said Theresa Deme.
“Seleme has been in my care since her childhood, She has always been a very hardworking child and most importantly very obedient. When she was born I named her “Seleme” which means “help me”. we’ve grown to be very fond of each other as a grandmother will have a special love for her grandchild. Although Seleme got pregnant after her WAEC, she got a lot of rejection in the sense that people treated her as if she committed the worst crime ever and even said they knew nothing good could come out from her. Regardless everything that happened she told me she wasn’t going to commit sin twice by aborting the child and she was going to work hard to see that she could take care of her child and I decided to support her all the way. We thought we were going to loose her after labour but God saw her through.” — said Theresa Deme, her grandmother.
The event garnered significant local support. The former governor of Plateau State, Joshua Dariye, the Commissioner for Youths and Sport, Bashir Lawandi Datti, and the Commissioner for Local Government, Ephriam Usman, were all present, adding to the energy in the room.
Here’s more about Seleme Dachor:
- The 19-year-old is the firstborn child.
- She volunteers as an OAP on the “Jay Afternoon Express” show on Jay 101.9FM.
- Dachor is a young entrepreneur with baking, hair styling, and braiding skills.
- Interestingly, she is allergic to the popular Nigerian beverage “Zobo,” made from hibiscus leaves.
— Additional reporting by Roselyn Yusuf