The mother of Nigeria’s celebrated chef, Hilda Effiong Bassey, popularly known as Hilda Baci, has revealed that Guinness World Records has called them regarding her daughter’s jollof rice feat last Friday, adding that her daughter has broken the Guinness record two times.
With this revelation, Baci has once again etched her name into global culinary history after setting the record for the largest serving of Nigerian-style jollof rice.
The record attempt, staged on Friday at the Gino Jollof Festival hosted at the Eko Hotel and Suites, Lagos, drew tens of thousands of excited spectators and online viewers. Using a custom-built pot measuring six metres wide, Baci and her team cooked an astonishing 8,780 kg of jollof rice, a feat Guinness officially confirmed on Monday.
While the world marvelled at the scale of the achievement, her mother, Mrs Bassey, who owns the Calabar Pot restaurant in Abuja, revealed the spiritual preparations that preceded the milestone.
Speaking during Pastor Jerry Eze’s NSPPD online service on Tuesday, she said the family had embarked on fasting and prayers throughout the week leading up to the event.
“My daughter said, ‘Mommy, I want to cook the biggest pot of jollof rice.’ When she mentioned 250 bags, I was shaking. We prayed all night and handed everything over to God. That pot was like my office; I was afraid it might collapse. But God took control, and it ended in praise,” she recounted.
The pot eventually consumed 200 bags of rice, 20 goats, 30 gallons of oil, and large amounts of tomato paste and seasoning.
According to Mrs Bassey, even the lid of the pot was so heavy that cranes had to be used to lift it. She admitted she feared disaster if the pot leaked or buckled under the weight, but credited God’s intervention for the flawless outcome.
This latest success adds to Baci’s growing reputation as one of Nigeria’s most prominent culinary figures. She first rose to fame in May 2023 when she set the Guinness World Record for the longest cooking marathon, preparing more than 100 dishes over 93 hours and 11 minutes at Amore Gardens, Lekki. That cook-a-thon became a national sensation, uniting Nigerians at home and abroad in support of her effort.
Although her record was later broken in November 2023 by Irish chef Alan Fisher, who cooked for 119 hours and 57 minutes in Japan, Baci’s determination to reclaim her place on the global stage has been unyielding. The Guinness confirmation of her jollof rice feat now makes her a two-time record holder.
Her culinary journey began long before Guinness recognition. In 2021, she won the Jollof Face-Off competition, where she showcased her mastery of West Africa’s most hotly contested dish. She also runs a cooking show, Dine on a Budget, which promotes affordable Nigerian meals.
For many Nigerians, the symbolism of this latest record goes beyond food. Jollof rice is at the heart of West African identity and rivalry, and Baci’s success has been widely interpreted as a cultural statement.
“This is about more than records. It is about Nigeria showing the world the soul of our food,” one festival attendee said.
On social media, hashtags such as #HildaBaci and #JollofFestival trended globally, with videos of the enormous pot captivating audiences.
Baci herself wrote on X, “We have done it again #nigeria #hildabaci.”
For her mother, the overwhelming turnout and safe conclusion of the event remain the greatest testimony. “Guinness has called us. My daughter has broken the record two times. For us to pull such a crowd, it can only be God,” she said.
From a sociology graduate who once struggled to find her footing to a two-time Guinness record holder, Hilda Baci’s story reflects resilience, faith and the power of Nigerian cuisine to command global attention.
