Nigerian celebrity chef and Guinness World Record holder, Hilda Baci, has explained why she opted to cook 200 bags of rice instead of the initially announced 250 in her latest bid to set a world record for the largest serving of Nigerian-style Jollof rice.
Baci, who shot to fame after her 2023 cook-a-thon, began the challenge on Friday at the Eko Hotel and Suites, Lagos, drawing a carnival-like crowd of food lovers, celebrities, and dignitaries.
Among those in attendance were Nollywood actress Funke Akindele, dancer Kaffy, and Bamidele Abiodun, First Lady of Ogun State.
Addressing journalists at the venue, Baci explained that her decision to scale down was due to the 20,000kg weight limit of the crane and measuring device provided for the event.
“If you notice, when we started we weighed the pot and we need to weigh everything that goes into the pot when we’re done.
The goal was to hit about 17,000 to 18,000 kilogrammes including the pot. But since the crane can only weigh 20,000 kilogrammes, I had to go slightly below that. That’s why I cut it down by a thousand kilogrammes,” she said.
According to her, the 200 bags of rice produced 4,000kg of Jollof, which is enough to feed 20,000 people.
“This 4,000 kilogrammes of rice will still feed 20,000 people, so we’re still up there,” she added.
Baci revealed that the ambitious feat took almost a year of preparation and about nine hours of continuous cooking.
“Honestly, Gino and I figuring this whole thing out was hectic. It took Mr. Ayo two months to fabricate the custom pot, then nine months to plan the event. Cooking the entire meal itself took nearly nine hours,” she said.
Despite the stress, she described the challenge as both exciting and rewarding.
“We’re not done because we still have to distribute the food and make sure everybody here eats to their satisfaction. But so far, I’m very happy with what we’ve achieved today,” she noted.
Interestingly, Baci revealed that the idea was not originally conceived as a Guinness World Record attempt, but rather as a food experience for Nigerians.
“When I came up with this idea, I did not think about it as a world record, quite frankly. It was about bringing people together and feeding as many as possible. Some of you even came with your coolers,” she said with a smile.
“We’re feeding the nation,” she declared.
The London-based Guinness World Records also joined in the excitement, posting a video of the Lagos event on its 𝕏 handle.
“What’s cookin’? Best of luck to @hildabacicooks who’s attempting a new record for the largest serving of Nigerian style Jollof rice today,” it wrote.
This comes just two years after the body certified Baci’s record-breaking cook-a-thon in 2023, which earned her global recognition and inspired many young Nigerians to explore careers in the culinary industry.
Nollywood icon Genevieve Nnaji has fired off a sharp response after a man on X (formerly Twitter) advised Igbo men to stop marrying Igbo women and instead seek wives from other African countries.
The controversy began after a photo of a Rwandan woman said to be engaged to an Anambra man went viral.
Resharing the image, the user wrote, “Dear Igbo men, instead of marrying an Igbo woman who’ll falsely accuse you of r4ping your daughter, better look outside for a wife.
“Go to East Africa, especially Rwanda, and pick a damsel. They’re all over social media, and you can link up with them.”
Genevieve, who rarely comments on online drama, responded, “In other words, instead of checking yourself and taking accountability, go for the unsuspecting and carry on with your evil. Got it.”
Another user attempted to challenge her, claiming the original tweet was aimed at “false rape accusers” and that Genevieve was avoiding the real issue.
“His tweet was clearly against false rape accusers, but instead of holding the evil women accountable and demanding change, you chose to tweet this?”
But the actress hit back with equal clarity: “The same way a woman can’t tell an abusive man apart from a good one is the same way you shouldn’t say avoid all Igbo women. ‘Not all women’.”
Reality TV star Phyna has offered words of encouragement to fellow Big Brother Naija winner Imisi amid a family feud between the latter and her mother.
In an X post on Monday, Phyna wrote,”To Imisi, @imisiofficial and to anyone walking through the same fire… I’m praying for your strength.
“My own experience broke me, but I’m slowly rising.
“And I’m rooting for you with everything in me, don’t handle it like I did, build strong and focus on you baby girl.”
The post comes against the backdrop of a family dispute in which Imisi’s mother accused her daughter of hatred and revealed the poor condition of the home where she currently lives, despite Imisi winning N150 million after her Big Brother victory.
Imisi replied in Yoruba,”This is why Aunty Debola said you should not show your face to the world. I can’t be saying all that now, you are in the midst of people. Just overlook everything and leave social media.
“Don’t worry, I will send you money to rent a new house. I am tired of all this drama. I am still recovering from the stress of Big Brother.
“Should I be facing another stress now? Please forgive me, I am your daughter.”
Recall Imisi’s mother has publicly expressed frustration on social media, saying she does not need her daughter’s money after being sidelined following the win.
She also blamed Imisi for recounting her childhood experiences, which she claims involve untrue allegations of parental neglect and sexual assault.
In a video, she showed the old house she currently resides in, saying she is content with her situation, a revelation that sparked online controversy.
In 2023, after Phyna’s BBNaija win, her father, Felix Otabor, revealed in an interview that he was distressed by his daughter’s actions following her BBNaija win.
Otabor said Phyna had asked him to stop working as a hearse driver and requested that he sell his cars, promising to improve the family’s life.
He said he later struggled financially after selling the vehicles, losing his business momentum and community position, and has not seen his daughter since her victory.
He described feeling sidelined while she enjoyed her wealth.
Nollywood actress, Regina Daniels, has opened up about her marriage to her estranged husband, Senator Ned Nwoko.
It was reports that the embattled wife revealed why their seven-year relationship remained faithful despite his polygamous lifestyle.
In a reply to a comment on her Instagram page, Daniels said that during their years together, Nwoko never slept with other women outside their home because she held him well in the other room.
She wrote: “Yes i think he loved me but a toxic one! Because tell me why a polygamous man forgot what it meant to be in polygamy, except for the media.
“Just because it boosted his ego of being seen with multiple women which is easy by me because anyone that sees a man as an odogwu sees the wife as what? He basically had to beg that he share days at ours and other days with his other wives because they begged for his attention.
“Y’all should pls forget this yeye social media comparison because my ex man never slept outside one day in our 7 years of marriage. You know why? Because as a delta babe, I hold am well for the other room ladies use your skills that’s all men want actually!”
