Regional record attempts have risen sharply in the last year and a half. Between 2013 and 2022 there were about 7,000 applications from west Africa to GWR, representing 1% of the global tally. Since 2023 roughly the same number of applications have been received, constituting about 8% of the global total. Nigeria and Ghana together account for 122 of the 139 applications in the cooking marathon category. “It is a great platform for international recognition, and it projects destinies,” said 34-year-old Accra-based actor Adu Safowaah, who is awaiting verification of her 130-hour speechathon in February.