Nigerian celebrity chef Hilda Baci, in the early hours of Saturday, completed her highly anticipated Guinness World Record attempt for the largest pot of jollof rice.
The feat took place at Eko Hotels and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos.
The Akwa Ibom-born culinary star revealed that the massive dish was prepared with 4,000 kilograms of basmati rice, 500 cartons of tomato concentrate, 750 kilograms of oil, and 600 kilograms of onions, all cooked in a custom-made steel pot measuring six metres in diameter.
She revealed that the initial plan was to cook 250 bags of rice, but later on adjusted the figure to 200 bags to avoid exceeding the 20,000-kilogram weight limit of the measuring equipment.
Ten assistants in red uniforms, equipped with giant wooden paddles, had worked tirelessly with Baci throughout the session, stirring the enormous meal as DJs and live performances kept the audience engaged.
The festival, tagged ‘Gino World Jollof Festival’ attracted notable personalities such as Ogun State First Lady Bamidele Abiodun and celebrities like Funke Akindele, Bambam, Tomike Adeoye, Alex Unusual, Enioluwa Adeoluwa, TikTok star Peller, and Afrobeats singer Spyro.
Addressing the crowd, Funke Akindele applauded Baci’s determination, urging women to pursue bold dreams.
“You can look beautiful, but you must hustle and do something special for yourself,” she said, drawing loud cheers.
The Federal Government had on Friday commended Baci for her quest to set a new Guinness World Record.
The Minister of information and National orientation, Mohammed Idris, said the effort was another demonstration of Nigeria’s global excellence.
At one point, Baci broke down in tears after scrolling through online messages of encouragement, visibly moved by the overwhelming wave of support.
