Renowned Nigerian chef and Guinness World Record holder, Hilda Baci, has officially addressed the decision behind scaling down her ambitious culinary feat from 250 to 200 bags of rice during her latest record-breaking attempt to serve the largest quantity of Nigerian-style Jollof rice.
Speaking at the vibrant event held at Eko Hotel and Suites, Lagos, Baci explained that the adjustment was a technical necessity. The custom-built pot and ingredients, when combined, approached the 20,000-kilogram weight limit of the crane and measuring equipment used to verify the record. “It’s safer for me to go below 20,000 kilogrammes so that my scale can carry it all at the same time,” she stated.
Despite the reduction, the 200 bags of rice—amounting to 4,000 kilograms—were more than sufficient to feed over 20,000 people, fulfilling the event’s core mission: feeding the nation.
“When I came up with this idea, I did not think about it as a world record, quite frankly. I just wanted to bring people together and make sure everyone eats,” Baci shared, surrounded by cheering guests and food lovers.
The event, which took nearly a year of planning, featured appearances from Nollywood stars like Funke Akindele, dance icon Kaffy, and Bamidele Abiodun, First Lady of Ogun State. It was a carnival of culture, music, and community spirit.