In May 2023, a cooking marathon in Lagos captured the imagination of millions. What began as one woman's attempt to test the limits of endurance soon evolved into something much larger - a national phenomenon that encouraged Nigerians from different walks of life to pursue seemingly impossible goals.
Three years later, Guinness World Records has acknowledged the scale of that influence.
On Thursday, the global record-keeping organisation named Nigerian chef and restaurateur Hilda Baci a Guinness World Records Icon, making her the first Nigerian to receive the distinction.
Unlike traditional record titles, the GWR Icon recognition is reserved for individuals, groups and globally significant figures whose achievements transcend the records themselves and leave a lasting mark on society.
For Guinness World Records, Baci's story was never solely about hours spent behind a stove.
It was about impact.
Within two months of her celebrated cook-a-thon, the organisation received more than 1,500 new applications from Nigeria. The surge reflected a growing appetite among Nigerians to challenge boundaries, pursue excellence and test themselves on a global stage. By then, Baci's achievement had already become part of a wider cultural moment.
The chef's rise to international prominence can be traced to her record-breaking cooking marathon held in Lagos between May 11 and May 15, 2023. Over the course of the challenge, she cooked continuously for 93 hours and 11 minutes, setting the Guinness World Record for the longest individual cooking marathon at the time.
The event drew thousands of supporters, dominated conversations across social media and attracted worldwide attention through livestream broadcasts.
Although the record has since been surpassed twice, Guinness World Records maintains that the significance of Baci's accomplishment cannot be measured by duration alone. The organisation cited the enduring influence of the feat and the wave of record attempts it inspired as key reasons behind its decision to confer the Icon honour.
The recognition also highlights a journey that began long before the cameras arrived.
According to Guinness World Records, Baci's earliest exposure to the culinary world came while assisting in her mother's restaurant in Abuja during her primary school years. Her path was not linear. After studying sociology, she explored opportunities in television and acting before eventually embracing professional cooking in 2020 and establishing her restaurant business.
That decision would alter the course of her life.
Since then, she has built a reputation that extends well beyond Nigeria's culinary scene, becoming one of the country's most recognisable food entrepreneurs and a prominent ambassador of Nigerian cuisine.
Her relationship with Guinness World Records did not end with the cook-a-thon.
In September 2025, she partnered with Gino Nigeria to secure another landmark achievement in Victoria Island, Lagos, creating the largest serving of rice ever recorded.
The enormous dish weighed 8,780 kilograms and was prepared with 4,000 kilograms of basmati rice, 164 kilograms of fresh goat meat and approximately 600 kilograms of her signature jollof pepper mix. More than 16,600 portions were eventually distributed.
The feat contributed to her growing collection of Guinness World Records achievements, which today includes the 2023 cooking marathon and two mass-cooking records established in 2025.
Yet the moment that appeared to resonate most deeply with Baci was not the setting of a record but the recognition of what those records had inspired.
In a video released by Guinness World Records following the announcement, the chef struggled to contain her emotions.
“I don’t know what to say… we started a movement. I did this. I don’t want to cry. It feels really good to know that things like this can happen to people like me,” she said.
Reflecting further, she admitted that while she always believed in the challenge she undertook, she never foresaw the scale of its reach.
“I had so much faith in what I was doing, I never saw how far it could go, I never saw how much impact it would make, I definitely did not think there would come a time I would not have one but three… and now being named a Guinness World Record Icon. I am so grateful to God. This is for Nigeria, this is for all of us.”
The organisation itself framed her story as evidence that record-breaking is often driven by qualities that extend beyond talent. In explaining the recognition, Guinness World Records pointed to ambition, self-belief and determination as characteristics frequently shared by those whose achievements leave a lasting impression.
Those themes also feature prominently in Baci's own reflections.
Asked what guidance she would offer aspiring record holders, she emphasised the value of preparation over enthusiasm alone.
“Preparation is everything. Passion alone is not enough,” she said.
Success, she noted, requires physical readiness, mental discipline, meticulous documentation, a dependable support structure and a thorough understanding of Guinness World Records requirements.
Her philosophy has been shaped by experience.
“Consistency beats talent. Systems beat hustle. And humility keeps you growing.”
While the latest honour places her among a select group of globally recognised figures, Baci's attention is already fixed on the future. She intends to expand My Food by Hilda across Nigeria and into international markets including the United Kingdom, the United States, Dubai and South Africa.
She also hopes to continue serving as a cultural ambassador for Nigerian cuisine, introducing more people around the world to the flavours, traditions and creativity that define the country's food culture.
As for future record attempts, she believes they should stand for something greater than personal accomplishment.
“If my journey gave someone else the courage to attempt something bold, then that means more to me than the title itself,” she said. “Records can be broken, that’s their nature but inspiration, the ripple effect of belief, is what truly lasts.”
For Guinness World Records, that ripple effect is precisely what separates an Icon from a record holder.
For Nigeria, it is another example of a homegrown talent whose influence has travelled far beyond the achievement that first brought her international attention. Hilda Baci may have entered the record books through cooking, but her place in Guinness World Records history has been secured by something less measurable: the thousands of people she inspired to believe that extraordinary goals are within reach.
No comments:
Post a Comment