Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu yesterday made a surprise appearance at Amore Gardens in Lekki to motivate and celebrate a young talented Lagos-based chef, Hilda Baci, who is striving to make a global record in the Longest Cook-a-thon contest.
Hilda is challenging the current Guinness World Record set by an Indian chef, Lata Tondon who made a global recognition in the craft, cooking for 86 hours in a stretch.
The Akwa Ibom State indigene and owner of My Food My Hilda Restaurant in Lekki, who has been nursing the dream to participate in the food contest for five years, is expected to surpass the cooking time to become a Guinness World Record holder.
The chef had cooked for 68 hours when Sanwo-Olu stopped by to boost her morale. The governor’s appearance generated spontaneous excitement among the crowd of youths who gathered at the garden.
As prominent Nigerians from all walks of life including Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and the president-elect, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu called Baci in the kitchen to cheer her to success, her mother, Mrs Lynda Brown and some family members were also around to support her.
Sanwo-Olu made a brief entry into the kitchen in order not to disrupt the event flow. During a chat with the governor, the chef offered a taste of some of the delicacies prepared, including Akwa Ibom’s traditional Edika Ikong and Egusi soup.
The governor witnessed the moment Hilda hit 69th hour in the kitchen, which was at exactly 1pm on Sunday. The show was being watched live across social media platforms.
Addressing the crowd, Sanwo-Olu said: “My presence here is to encourage a young talented citizen who has been making all of us proud. You can see the Nigerian spirit popping out from her; the resilient spirit that Lagos is known for. We can also feel the Akwa Ibom spirit.
“Hilda is a great inspiration and motivator displaying the values of our country. I wish her the strength and courage to finish well and break the global record. Having made history with the largest cupcakes, we are expecting to have another first for our country and state.”
The governor urged youths across the country, who had been cheering her on social media, not to relent in sending their wishes, stressing that the global record would be their collective win.
As of the time of this report, Chef Hilda had cooked over 100 different meals served freely to over 4,000 youths who turned up for dinner at the garden.
The show is expected to wind up at 4pm on Monday when the chef would have made a new global record.
