History was made on Friday night at the Eko Hotel and Suites in Lagos as celebrity chef Hilda Baci’s giant pot of Nigerian jollof rice reached the serving stage in her latest world record attempt.
The feat is part of the Gino World Jollof Festival, where Baci set out to cook the world’s largest pot of the beloved West African delicacy – jollof rice. The specially fabricated cooking pot, six metres wide and six metres tall with a 22,619-litre capacity, has been at the centre of the attempt, drawing thousands of supporters and widespread attention across Nigeria and beyond.
Excitement built earlier in the day when Baci and her team poured huge quantities of goat meat into the steaming pot, a moment that went viral on social media. Now, with the rice cooked and the jollof nearly complete, anticipation has given way to celebration.
The event has attracted celebrity support, with popular Nollywood actress Funke Akindele, social media influencer Enioluwa Adeoluwa, actress Tomike Adeoye, designer Veekee James, and media personality Alex Unusual, in attendance. Pastor Bolaji Idowu, Lead Pastor of Harvesters International Christian Centre, also lent spiritual support, praying with Baci and praising her for “demonstrating the values of Christ.”
Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mallam Mohammed Idris, also commended the celebrity chef.
Over 20,000 people registered to attend the festival, underscoring the scale of interest in the historic attempt. Baci is expected to use about 250 bags of rice, filling the pot to nearly 80 percent of its capacity, enough to serve thousands.
Having previously broken the Guinness World Record (GWR) for the longest cooking marathon in 2023, Baci’s latest feat reinforces her status as one of Nigeria’s most inspiring culinary figures. As the first servings of the record-breaking jollof rice are prepared, she once again places Nigerian cuisine firmly in the global spotlight.
