Nigerian artist and medical doctor Fola David-Tolaram created a drawing certified by Guinness World Records at 1,004.7 square metres in 2024. The work occupied a canvas laid across the pitch at Mobolaji Johnson Arena in Lagos. Guinness published its account of the achievement on 14 November.
The artwork, titled The Unity of Diversity, used a map of Nigeria to bring different cultures together. Fola described including clothing, food, festivals, musical objects and ways of life. The drawing therefore had a subject beyond its size: showing cultural variety within a shared national space.
Before beginning, he travelled around Nigeria to encounter the cultures he wanted to depict. That research gave the project a sequence extending beyond the stadium performance. Gathering references and deciding what to include were part of the work before the first visible lines appeared.
The physical preparation was substantial. Joining the canvases took two days, producing a surface of 1,360 square metres. Fola drew with waterproof markers over six days. The canvas area and certified drawing area are separate figures; the larger surface should not be substituted for the measured artwork.
He initially planned to move outward from the centre in circles, but adapted as he worked. Difficult sections could be set aside temporarily while he completed easier ones, then revisited. His account describes a practical working process rather than a single uninterrupted burst of inspiration.
Visitors watched and encouraged him in the stadium. The final result combined public performance, preparation and sustained drawing, backed by his existing artistic practice. Its place in African excellence rests on both the verified scale and a clearly stated cultural purpose, with the 2024 date preserved.