Edi Umoh
Nigerian chef and restaurateur, Hilda Baci has been named the first Guinness World Records icon in the country.
This honour shows her impact on record-breaking culture worldwide and her role in inspiring many Guinness World Records attempts in Nigeria.
The GWR Icon title is awarded by Guinness World Records to people, groups, or important figures whose achievements go beyond record-setting and have a lasting impact worldwide.
Baci holds several Guinness World Records. She set the record for the longest individual cooking marathon in May 2023 and broke two mass-cooking records in September 2025.
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In a video shared by Guinness World Records, the chef became emotional as she looked back on her journey from trying for her first record to being named a GWR Icon.
“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.
Baci said she always believed in her work, but she never expected it would have such a big impact.
“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.”
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Guinness World Records explained that record titles are about more than just breaking records. They said these achievements often show a person’s self-belief, ambition, and determination.
The organisation described how Baci started by helping at her mother’s restaurant in Abuja when she was in primary school and later became one of Nigeria’s best-known chefs.
After studying Sociology, she tried working in television and acting. In 2020, she became a professional chef and started her own restaurant.
Guinness World Records said Baci’s record-breaking cook-a-thon in Lagos from May 11 to 15, 2023, was a turning point. She cooked for 93 hours and 11 minutes without stopping, drawing thousands of supporters and getting worldwide attention through livestreams.
Even though the record has been broken twice since then, Guinness said Baci’s achievement made a lasting impact. Within two months of her attempt, the organisation got over 1,500 new applications from Nigeria, showing how much her success inspired others.
When asked for advice for people who want to break records, Baci said that being prepared is very important.
“Preparation is everything. Passion alone is not enough,” she said, adding that challengers need physical training, mental conditioning, proper documentation, a strong support team, and a clear understanding of Guinness World Records guidelines.
Baci returned to the record books in September 2025 when she partnered with Gino Nigeria to create the largest serving of rice in Victoria Island, Lagos.
The record-breaking dish weighed 8,780 kilograms and was prepared using 4,000 kilograms of basmati rice, 164 kilograms of fresh goat meat, and about 600 kilograms of her signature jollof pepper mix before being shared in more than 16,600 portions.
Reflecting on lessons from her career, she said, “Consistency beats talent. Systems beat hustle. And humility keeps you growing.”
Baci hopes to expand ‘‘My Food by Hilda’’ across Nigeria and internationally, including the United Kingdom, the United States, Dubai, and South Africa, while she is serving as a cultural ambassador for Nigerian cuisine.
Also read: Marathon cooking: Guinness World Records confirms Hilda Baci winner
She said any future record attempt would have to serve a broader purpose beyond endurance.
“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.”
