Nigerian Chef Hilda Baci Now Holds 3 Guinness Records

Nigerian chef Hilda Baci started her morning scrolling through emails and ended it as a three-time Guinness World Record holder.

The celebrity chef received a surprise email in January 2026 from Guinness World Records officials informing her that her September 2025 cooking feat had actually broken two records, not one. When she and her team prepared 8,780 kilograms of jollof rice at a Lagos cookout, they set the record for both the largest serving of Nigerian-style jollof rice and the largest serving of rice overall.

"I was shocked and happy at the same time, completely caught off guard," Baci shared on Instagram. "Five months after the initial record announcement, I was just finding out that there was more."

Andrew Fanning, Head of Client Partnering at Guinness World Records, explained that when comparing the guidelines for both record titles, her team's achievement qualified for both categories simultaneously. The official recognition came as a complete surprise to Baci, who thought she'd already celebrated her second world record back in September.

This brings her total to three Guinness World Records. Her first came in May 2023 when she completed a 93-hour, 11-minute cooking marathon, making her Nigeria's first chef to hold multiple world records.

Why This Inspires

Baci immediately called her collaborator Oreoluwa Atinmo to share the news. "This journey, this vision, and this record would not have been possible without her," Baci said, emphasizing that the achievement belonged to her entire team.

Her reaction captures something beautiful about ambition and teamwork. She didn't go after these records alone, and she didn't let success make her forget the people who helped her get there.

The chef credits her faith for the unexpected blessing. "Even when you think you've seen the full picture, God can still say, 'There's more,'" she wrote.

Her achievement puts Nigerian cuisine on the global stage in a remarkable way. What started as a celebration of jollof rice turned into recognition that extends beyond cultural boundaries.

Baci's journey shows what happens when preparation meets opportunity, and when one person's dream becomes a team's mission.