Hilda Effiong Bassey, popularly known as Hilda Baci, a Nigerian celebrity chef, has announced that Guinness World Records, the global record-keeping organisation, has recognised her as a three-time record holder after confirming that her 2025 jollof rice achievement also qualified for a separate rice category.
Okay News reports that the new recognition follows an internal review by Guinness World Records which found that the same evidence submitted for her “Largest Serving Of Nigerian-Style Jollof Rice” attempt also met the requirements for the “Largest Serving Of Rice” title.
Baci disclosed the update on Tuesday, 20 January 2026, through Instagram, where she also adjusted her profile description to reflect the milestone.
“Woke up a three-time Guinness World Records holder and I’m still trying to wrap my head around it. What a way to step into 2026,” she wrote.
According to Baci, the confirmation was communicated via an email from Andrew Fanning, Head Of Client Partnering, Records Creative Team, at Guinness World Records, informing her that the jollof rice record overlapped with another global category.
“Congratulations, you are Officially Amazing (again)! It has come to our attention when comparing record guidelines of the two record titles, that when you and your team attempted and achieved ‘Largest serving of Nigerian-style jollof rice,’ you also achieved the record title of ‘Largest serving of rice,’” Fanning wrote.
Reacting to the news, Baci said the message arrived unexpectedly and changed her understanding of what she achieved during the September 2025 cookout in Lagos, Nigeria’s commercial capital.
“This morning, I was just doing my usual routine, casually scrolling through my emails, when I saw the message come in. I was shocked and happy at the same time, completely caught off guard. Five months after the initial record announcement, I was just finding out that there was more,” she said.
She explained that what she initially considered a single record later became two separate titles from the same day of evidence and measurements.
She said: “When @ginonaija and I broke the Guinness World Record for the largest serving of Nigerian-style jollof rice, I thought that was it.
“What I didn’t know, until now, is that on that same day, we had also broken the record for the largest serving of rice overall. So what I thought was one record… turned out to be two. And now, officially, that makes three Guinness World Records in total,” Baci added.
Guinness World Records lists the “Largest Serving Of Rice” as 8,780 kilograms (19,356 pounds, 9 ounces), achieved in Victoria Island, Lagos, Nigeria, on Friday, 12 September 2025, by Hilda Baci and the Gino team.
The chef’s latest milestone builds on earlier Guinness recognition in 2023, when Guinness World Records confirmed that she completed a 93-hour, 11-minute cooking marathon, a feat that helped push her profile beyond Nigeria into global pop culture and food media circles.
Baci also used the announcement to spotlight her support network, crediting her team and singling out @oreoluwa_atinmo for playing a key role from planning through execution.
“The very first person I called was @oreoluwa_atinmo, because this journey, this vision, and this record would not have been possible without her. We did this together. From idea to execution, side by side, fully aligned. Sharing that moment with her made everything feel real,” she said.
She added that the recognition felt like an unexpected reward for persistence and faith, describing the moment as a reminder that more can come even after a public win appears complete.
“Honestly, God is faithful. The kind of faithful that still surprises you. This feels like such a beautiful reminder that even when you think you’ve seen the full picture, God can still say, ‘There’s more.’ What a blessing, and what a way to enter this new year,” she added.
Baci concluded by thanking Guinness World Records, her team, and supporters who followed the project from idea to delivery, saying the achievement belonged to everyone who contributed behind the scenes.
“To my incredible team, this is OUR win. Every long day, every detail, every push, it all mattered. To Guinness World Records, thank you for the recognition and for honouring this achievement.
“And to everyone who supported, believed, and stood with us, my heart is so full. Still processing. Still grateful. Still in awe,” she said.
