Hilda Baci Sets Guinness World Record with Largest Pot of Jollof Rice in Lagos
Hilda Baci Sets Guinness World Record For The Second Time
On Friday, September 12, 2025, Lagos played host to a moment the world won’t forget anytime soon. Nigeria’s culinary star, Hilda Baci, once again carved her name into the Guinness World Records. This time, by preparing an astonishing 8,780 kilograms of jollof rice, setting the record for the largest pot of the iconic West African dish ever cooked
Hilda Baci once again proved that when it comes to food, she doesn’t just cook. She makes history. The record attempt was held at Eko Hotel and Suites, Victoria Island, in partnership with Gino Nigeria.
A History-Maker in the Kitchen
For Hilda Effiong Bassey, popularly known as Hilda Baci, record-breaking isn’t new territory. In 2023, she smashed the record for the longest cooking marathon by an individual with her 93-hour, 11-minute cook-a-thon. A feat that made us all sleep, wake, and check Instagram to see if she was still cooking.
After nearly two years of working behind closed doors, Hilda finally announced her plan to break another record in August. And Lagos, in true Lagos fashion, showed up and showed out.
The Record-Breaking Day
The event was held at Eko Hotel and Suites, Victoria Island. The air was filled with music, and of course, the sweet, smoky smell of jollof rice. Thousands of Nigerians were present at the venue, cheering Hilda on as she cooked. Her celebrity friends and influencers like Veekee James, Eniola, Tomike Adeoye, Guinness World Record holder Kaffy and many others also showed up to support the chef.
The entire event was almost like a festival, and it was beautiful to see.
Hilda’s crew got to work, setting up the massive burners powered by 1,200 kilograms of gas and the custom-built, enormous pot, which was six meters wide. What went in was a staggering list of ingredients that could feed a nation: 4,000 kg of washed basmati rice, 164 kg of goat meat, 220 kg of Gino Asun and peppered chicken cubes, 600 kg of her signature jollof sauce plus mountains of onions, spices, and gallons of oil.
I can only imagine the amount of calculations and sleepless nights that went into arriving at these specific measurements.
For nine straight hours, Hilda and crew stirred, tasted, and adjusted, determined to keep the flavour as authentic as the family-sized pot Jollof Nigerians know and love. Some notable figures also showed up and joined in the stirring of this gigantic pot of history, the First Lady of Ogun State, Bamidele Abiodun, Actress Funke Akindele and many others.
The cooking process wasn’t all smooth-sailing. At one point during the weighing process, the pot wobbled. The cover slipped loose, the supporting legs bent slightly, and you could feel a collective gasp ripple through the crowd. But the crew members quickly stabilised the pot, adjusted the quantity of the rice (from the planned 250 down to 200), and kept the fire going.
When the cooking was finally complete, over 16,600 servings were dished out to the cheering crowd, packed neatly into takeaway boxes and shared freely, ensuring nothing went to waste. Part of the rules is that the food must be shared because it must never be wasted.
Other rules for attempt, as outlined by Guinness World Records, include:
- At least 80% of the total weight had to be washed basmati rice.
- The jollof rice must, in fact, be Nigerian jollof rice.
- Every recipe and ingredient must be measured accurately.
Guinness World Record Confirmed
The record was officially confirmed three days after the attempt by Guinness World Records on the 15th of September 2025.
“Largest serving of Nigerian style jollof rice @ 8,780 kg (19356 lb 9 oz) by Hilda Baci and Gino. Nigerian chef Hilda Baci has made her way back into the record books after kick-starting record fever across Africa.”
~ GWR
And just like that, Hilda Baci became a two-time Guinness World Record holder.
She expressed her gratitude in a heartfelt caption on her Instagram page:
“This moment isn’t just mine, it belongs to Gino and to all of us.
This record was made possible because Gino created the platform for this history to happen.
To the tireless team that worked day and night, to every cheer, every prayer, every hand that helped stir, pack, and serve… This Guinness World Record was built on unity, love, and collective strength.
We made history together. For Nigeria, for Africa, and for everyone who believes in the power of food to bring us closer, this win is yours too.”
Hilda Baci’s Rising Influence
After pulling off this record, it’s hard to imagine what mountain is left for Hilda to climb. But knowing her, she probably already has the next one in her notes app.
Hilda has etched her name in history as not just a chef but a culinary legend. She is a living reminder that no dream is too wild to achieve.
So whatever crazy idea you have in your head or perhaps might have written down, get to work, plan, and put it in the effort; you might just be the next Guinness World Record holder.
Congratulations to Hilda Baci!
Cover image is sourced from Instagram
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