- Hilda Baci reduced her record attempt from 250 to 200 bags of rice due to equipment weight limits.
- The weighing crane and scale could only handle 20,000 kg including the giant pot.
- The 200 bags still produced 4,000 kg of rice, feeding over 20,000 attendees.
- The feat took nine months of preparation and nine hours of cooking.
- Celebrities and dignitaries, including Funke Akindele and Ogun State’s First Lady, attended.
- Guinness World Records acknowledged and encouraged her attempt.
- The effort follows her 2023 93-hour cook-a-thon that earned her global recognition.
Nigerian celebrity chef and Guinness World Record holder, Hilda Baci, has shed light on why she altered her latest record-breaking jollof rice challenge, cutting her original plan of 250 bags of rice down to 200.
The high-profile event took place at Eko Hotels and Suites in Lagos and drew an impressive lineup of guests, from food lovers to big names like actress Funke Akindele, dancer Kaffy, and Ogun State’s First Lady, Bamidele Abiodun.
According to Baci, the change was necessary due to technical constraints. The massive weighing scale and crane used for the record could only carry a maximum of 20,000 kilograms, including the specially built giant pot. Exceeding that limit would have put the entire process at risk.
Even with the adjustment, the 200 bags of rice produced about 4,000 kilograms of food—enough to serve the more than 20,000 people present at the festival-style celebration.
The project has been described as Baci’s most daring undertaking yet, requiring nine months of planning and nearly nine hours of non-stop cooking. It involved custom-made equipment and meticulous coordination to ensure the enormous dish came together successfully.
Beyond the pursuit of a Guinness World Record, Baci explained that the initiative was meant to be a unifying culinary experience—one that showcased Nigerian cuisine while feeding thousands of people.
The London-based Guinness World Records also acknowledged her attempt in a post on social media, sending encouragement as she embarked on the challenge.
This latest milestone comes just two years after Hilda Baci’s globally acclaimed 93-hour cook-a-thon in 2023, which cemented her status as one of Nigeria’s most celebrated culinary figures and inspired a new wave of interest in food and cooking among young Nigerians.
