LAGOS, NIGERIA — She didn’t just start a fire in the kitchen; she sparked an entire continental movement.
Nigerian celebrity chef and culinary entrepreneur, Hilda Effiong Bassey, popularly known as Hilda Baci, has officially been named a Guinness World Records (GWR) Icon. Announced by the global authority on record-breaking, this prestigious distinction places her in an elite, global class of record holders whose achievements transcend numbers to create a lasting international and cultural impact.
With this honor, Baci becomes the first-ever Nigerian to be inducted into the GWR Icons series.
A Journey Written in Fire and Faith
An emotional Baci reacted to the global announcement while holding her framed Icon certificate alongside her previous world record plaques. Behind the scenes, she opened up about the imposter syndrome she fought while rising to global fame.
”I don’t know what to say… we started a movement. I did this. I don’t want to cry,” Baci shared in a video released by Guinness World Records. “I had so much faith in what I was doing, but I never saw how far it could go. I definitely did not think there would come a time I would hold not one, but three records, and now be named a Guinness World Record Icon. This is for Nigeria, this is for all of us.”
Baci’s historic journey began in May 2023 when her grueling 93-hour and 11-minute marathon cooking session captured the world’s attention. While her individual endurance record for the longest cooking marathon has since been surpassed, GWR emphasized that her attempt altered the landscape of global record-breaking forever. Within just two months of her 2023 cook-a-thon, GWR received a staggering 1,500-plus new applications from inspired Nigerians looking to print their names in the history books.
The Triple-Record Holder
Far from a one-hit-wonder, Baci enters the middle of 2026 firmly established as a three-time Guinness World Record holder.
In September 2025, she partnered with Gino Nigeria on Victoria Island, Lagos, to cook the largest serving of Nigerian-style jollof rice. The final dish weighed an astonishing 8,780 kilograms (19,356 lbs 9 oz) and successfully fed over 16,600 people.
The scale of the feat was so massive that the weight of the ingredients—which included 4,000 kg of basmati rice, 164 kg of fresh goat meat, and 600 kg of pepper mix—actually buckled the colossal, custom-built steel pot twice.
While she initially celebrated clinching her second title for the Jollof dish, Baci received a surprise email from GWR management. Upon reviewing the strict guidelines, the auditing team realized that her massive feat simultaneously broke a separate, broader category. Her single cooking session officially earned her a third title for the largest serving of rice overall, solidifying her status as Nigeria’s most decorated culinary record-breaker.
Systems Over Hustle: Baci’s Blueprint for the Future
Reflecting on her career, Baci offered golden rules for the thousands of young Africans looking up to her brand, My Food by Hilda:
- Consistency beats talent.
- Systems beat hustle.
- Preparation is everything. Passion alone is not enough; you need physical training, mental conditioning, and a meticulous understanding of guidelines.
As a cultural ambassador for African cuisine, Baci is already laying plans to expand her culinary empire internationally, aiming to establish presence in the United Kingdom, the United States, Dubai, and South Africa.
”Records can be broken—that’s their nature,” Baci stated. “But inspiration, the ripple effect of belief, is what truly lasts.”
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