Nsikak Akpan has broken the record for the longest marathon lecture delivered in the world.
Akpan, who is the Provost of the College of Health Sciences, Foreign Links Campus, Moro, Ile-Ife, Osun State, surpassed the previous record of 139 hours, 52 minutes, and 42 seconds, held by Indian professor Arvind Mishra, on Sunday morning when he reached 142 hours.
However, the environmentalist insisted on continuing until he surpasses the 150-hour mark.
In his lectures, Akpan called on governments at all levels to enforce existing laws protecting the environment and public health.
He said, “Smoking in public is injurious to both the smoker and those around them. The people around the smoker are called secondary smokers, and the smoke has a negative effect on their health as well.
“Since we have laws prohibiting smoking in public places, I want to call on the government to ensure the enforcement of these laws to protect our environment and, most importantly, the health of residents.”
Speaking further, the academic advised the Osun State government to stop concreting road medians, describing the practice as moving from “green to black.”
“The grasses and plants along the median help absorb carbon monoxide and heavy metals such as zinc and lead, which are released by heavy machinery. The absence of these trees and plants means these harmful elements will be released into the atmosphere, increasing the risk of spreading diseases.
“The Osun State government should stop this process as it goes against international standards,” he said.
DAILY POST recalls that Akpan began his attempt to break the Guinness World Record on Monday, September 23, 2024, covering a wide range of topics on ecology and environmental science.
Guinness World Record: Osun lecturer clocks 142-hour longest marathon lecture