Guinness World Record holder and celebrity chef, Hilda Baci, has officially begun her historic attempt to cook the world’s largest pot of Nigerian jollof rice at the Eko Hotel and Suites, Lagos, in what has quickly become one of the most talked-about food festivals in Africa.
The event, tagged the “Gino Jollof Festival” in partnership with seasoning giant Gino, features a custom-built pot measuring six metres wide and six metres tall, designed to hold over 22,000 litres of food. According to Baci, about 250 bags of rice (5,278kg of basmati) will be used for the record-breaking attempt.
Before she lit the burners, Pastor Bolaji Idowu of Harvesters International Christian Centre prayed and blessed the effort. Onlookers say the atmosphere quickly turned into a carnival, with music, dance, and celebrity appearances electrifying the crowd.
Massive Crowd and Celebrity Support
The event has drawn an impressive turnout, with organisers confirming that over 20,000 people registered to attend. Attendees include Gen Zs, millennials, food enthusiasts, and A-list celebrities.
Top influencers such as Enioluwa Adeoluwa, Tomike Adeoye, Veekee James, and Folagbade Banks were present, while Nollywood superstar Funke Akindele received loud cheers when she mounted the stage.
Praising Baci’s courage, Akindele described her as the definition of “beauty with brains” and encouraged young women to look beyond appearance and embrace resilience and hard work.
“Hilda is strong, resilient, beautiful, intelligent – beauty with brains. Ladies, you must hustle, you must do something special for yourself,” Akindele said.
Guinness World Record holder and celebrity chef, Hilda Baci.
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The actress later joined Baci in the kitchen spot, stirring the tomato base alongside the First Lady of Ogun State, Bamidele Abiodun, who also came to show support. Other celebrities at the festival included Kaffy, Alex Unusual, Femi Atere, and Samuel Banks.
From Cooking Marathon to Jollof Festival
Hilda Baci became a national sensation in 2023 after breaking the Guinness World Record for the longest cooking marathon, cooking for over 93 hours in Lagos. The achievement earned her global recognition and cemented her reputation as a culinary powerhouse.
For this latest challenge, she reassured attendees that the massive jollof rice meal would be “amazing and hygienic”, promising a record-breaking experience.
As she continues her quest, the Eko Hotel venue remains packed with fans and supporters, eager to witness history as Nigeria’s beloved jollof takes centre stage.
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