Guinness World Records confirms Ghanaian has broken record for Longest Tree Hug

A 23-year-old journalist from Kumasi, Ghana, has set a new world record for the longest time spent hugging a tree.

Abdul Hakim Awal, during his "tree-hug-a-thon" outside the Kumasi Cultural Centre, embraced the tree for an impressive 24 hours and 21 minutes, surpassing the previous record of 16 hours held by Ugandan environmental activist Faith Patricia Ariokot.

Awal undertook this challenge to raise awareness about the importance of nature conservation in Ghana. To further his cause, he pledged to plant a new tree for every minute of his record attempt, ultimately committing to plant 1,461 trees.

The rules of the challenge required Abdul to remain standing without any breaks, his arms wrapped around the tree for the entire duration. With the record now standing at 24 hours, Guinness World Records has confirmed it as a "marathon" event, meaning future challengers will be allowed breaks totaling two hours per day to manage the effects of sleep deprivation.

Abdul, who has seen the devastating effects of desertification in his family's hometown of Garu, expressed his hopes to launch a nationwide tree-planting initiative. "We know how trees, an essential resource which the entire human race depends on, are becoming scarce in Ghana," he said. "Though we have been taught about the preservation of trees since our early years, the contribution from everyone is not as significant as it should be. This attempt for the longest time to hug a tree, to me, spells out an important task to preserve human life by preserving trees."

Awal is not the first Ghanaian to achieve a tree-hugging record this year. He follows Abubakar Tahiru, a forestry student who set a record for the most trees hugged in one hour, with a total of 1,123. Additionally, a cork oak tree in France secured its own Guinness World Record this year as the world’s tallest cork oak, standing at 21 metres (68.9 ft).