Cook-A-Thon: Nigerian Chef Hilda Baci Targets Guinness World Record for Longest Individual Cooking Marathon

The Nigerian entertainment and culinary scene is abuzz with excitement as the multi-faceted and incredibly talented Hilda Effiong Bassey, also known as Hilda Baci, sets her sights on an ambitious endeavor. An accomplished television producer, actress, and food entrepreneur, Hilda is seeking to etch her name in the annals of the Guinness World Records. Her audacious goal? To break the existing record for the longest individual cooking session.

Hilda Baci announced her intentions officially in an Instagram post dated April 2nd. In her heartfelt message, she shared her long-held dream of five years, which she was now intent on making a reality. Hilda disclosed her grand plans to cook non-stop for a jaw-dropping duration of four days and four nights. The record she seeks to break is a formidable one, set by Chef Lata London in Rewa, India in 2019, who cooked for an impressive 87 hours and 45 minutes.

Originally, this culinary marathon was set to kick off on April 28th. However, due to a surge in the number of people registering to attend, the event was postponed to May 11th. The revised venue was the Amore Gardens, located in the posh neighborhood of Lekki, Lagos, a location better equipped to accommodate a large number of enthusiastic attendees.

Hilda’s determination was evident when she responded to a tweet by the Guinness World Records. The organization had playfully posted, “Today is a good day to break a world record,” to which Hilda promptly replied, “I’m on it.” This clearly highlighted her unwavering commitment to the daunting task ahead.

The Akwa Ibom state-born chef began her record-breaking attempt on May 11th. The support from Nigerians has been nothing short of overwhelming, with many placing bets on Hilda’s success. The stalwart chef has shown no signs of relenting, having already put in more than 87 hours of continuous work.

At the age of just 27, Hilda has already clocked 69 hours of continuous cooking and is still going strong. She has fondly named this ambitious endeavor “Cook-a-thon,” cleverly drawing parallels with the physical endurance required in a marathon.

In her quest, Hilda is challenging the current record set by Indian chef Lata Tandon, who in 2019 cooked non-stop for 87 hours and 45 minutes, earning her a spot in the Guinness World Records. Hilda, however, is aiming to surpass this record by a significant margin. Her plan is to cook for an astounding 96 hours, taking only 6 hours of rest throughout. As of now, she has about 10 hours left to achieve her record-breaking goal.

The support for Hilda has not been confined to the general public alone. Many Nigerian celebrities, including the likes of actress Iyabo Ojo, Tonto Dikeh, comedian Macaroni, actor Ike Ogbonna, and Tobi Bakre, among others, have shown their support and sent their good wishes. As the clock ticks, Nigeria and the world watch in anticipation as Hilda Baci cooks her way into history.