Lisha Dackor, a 19-year-old woman from Nigeria, recently attempted to break the world record for painting the most nails in a 72-hour period. Armed with a nail brush, she painted over 4,000 nails with blue, pink, and purple varnish at an events center in Plateau state, northern Nigeria. Her marathon session ended on Wednesday, and she is waiting for the Guinness World Records (GWR) to review her attempt. According to GWR rules, she had to paint 60 fingernails per hour for her attempt to be considered.
Ms. Dackor embarked on this challenge to change the perception of teen mothers like herself. She wanted to give hope to single mothers who are often marginalized in society. As a professional nail technician for almost three years, she also wanted to showcase the talent of women from northern Nigeria. She hopes that her record attempt will put her home state of Plateau on the map, highlighting its beauty and the unity among its diverse ethnic groups.
Plateau state, situated between Nigeria’s mainly Muslim north and largely Christian south, has faced decades of conflict and insecurity due to ethnic and religious differences. Despite these challenges, Ms. Dackor received support from all ethnic groups during her record attempt. She believes that Plateau is a beautiful place that deserves recognition beyond its past conflicts. Through her dedication to breaking the world record, she hopes to inspire and uplift others, especially single mothers, showing them that they have valuable contributions to make to society.