Eyeing new global record, Nigerian chef cooks for nearly 100 hours

On Monday, a Nigerian chef broke the previous record by cooking continuously for nearly 100 hours, continuing her quest to establish a new record for the longest period of time.

Since last Thursday, Hilda Baci has been preparing meals in an effort to surpass the Indian chef Lata Tondon’s 2019 record of 87 hours and 45 minutes for the longest cooking marathon.

By 15:00 GMT on Monday, Baci had spent more than 97 hours cooking in the Lekki district of Lagos, the capital and largest city of Nigeria, and had become a household name in the West African country. Many people there and online encouraged her to attain the 100-hour milestone.

Guinness World Records did not send a representative to the site, but it tweeted that it was aware of the chef’s attempt to break the record for cooking. The international brand stated that before formally verifying a record, “we need to review all the evidence first.”

A campaign for young African women who are marginalized in society, the Nigerian chef claimed she wants to break the record to demonstrate how tenacious and diligent Nigerian kids are.

Baci said that she hoped the world would learn more about Nigerian cuisines. “Even when it comes to the brands you want to work with, it is like you have to go the extra mile to be taken seriously,” Baci said.

She began cooking a variety of Nigerian specialties under supervision on Thursday at 15:00 GMT, including soups, stews, and other proteins. One of the most well-known meals from West Africa, jollof rice, was also offered.

She has only taken five-minute breaks per hour or a total of one hour after a stretch of 12 hours for other activities like showering, getting checked up by the doctor, and sleeping.

Thousands of locals and famous people cheered her on at the scene day and night, and countless others watched online via various streaming services.

President Muhammadu Buhari stated that Monday was a glorious day for Nigeria after she broke the previous culinary record. “Hilda’s drive, ambition, and resilience have brought great interest and insight into the uniqueness of Nigerian food,” claimed Buhari.

Kingsley Ofoma, who was present, said he never had any doubts that Baci would break the world record as she got close to the 100-hour mark. Everyone is having a great time, and the energy is really strong, he remarked. Therefore, eating her meals for free is not even the best option.