Hilda Effiong Bassey popularly known as Hilda Baci is a 27-year-old Nigerian chef and content creator who is already on a brave journey to break the Guinness World Record of the “longest cooking session by an individual.” The Akwa Ibom state-born restaurateur runs My Food by Hilda, a premium fast-food restaurant in Lagos. 

The last record world record in this category was set by an Indian named Lata Tondon on September 7th, 2019 after cooking for 87 hours, 45 minutes. Baci will be cooking for 96 hours non-stop to break the world record. She started on May 11th at 10:00 am and will end at 10:00 am on May 15th.

The venue for the Cook-a-thon event is Amore Gardens, Lekki, an ultra-modern outdoor event center in Lagos. The event is also strongly supported by brands like Arla, Dano Milk, Domino’s Pizza, Jumbo, Uber, Gino Nigeria, Bama, and other notable brands in Nigeria. 

It is interesting to also know that Hilda has not attended any culinary school to learn her craft aside from the skills she got from her mother. A lot of investment has gone into this life-changing event which has been a childhood dream for Hilda. Her motivation is to change the narrative where women are usually underestimated as to what they can do or achieve in life.  

She will have to remain standing throughout the duration to prepare the meals. That will take a lot of energy, courage, and mental resilience. She is not allowed to eat or drink anything to boast her body except glucose. The basic guideline for the event also permits her to have kitchen assistants to help her with all the preparation tasks of washing, peeling, and chopping, but nothing directly related to the pot. Hilda will be preparing over 100 different recipes and about 80% will be Nigerian cuisines ranging from soups, rice, pasta, and even porridge. All the meals she prepares will be served to guests at the event venue for free. 

Before this, Hilda was one of the hosts with Tobi Bakare for the 2020 MTN Yellow Star Talent Show. She also has a cooking show, Dine on a Budget which shows on DSTV channel 189. In July 2021 Hilda Baci emerged as the overall winner of the maiden edition of the Jollof Face Off where she represented Nigeria. Holding the Guinness World Record will set her to stardom putting her on the world map and more visibility for her personal brand. Many notable musicians, celebrities, social media Influencers, and millions of Nigerians have been engaged both online and offline in canvassing for support to see her to victory.