On Monday, President Major General Muhammadu Buhari (ret.) said he shared in the joy of the celebrations as Hilda Bassey Effiong, 27, a.k.a. Hilda Baci, made history by shattering the record for the longest hours spent cooking, making it into the Guinness Book of Records, and putting Nigeria on the map.
“President Buhari lauds the young culinary expert for turning her talent and passion into a career, with a rippling effect on the economy as she runs a restaurant in Lagos, trains other talents on entrepreneurship, and now leads the world in resilience, perseverance, and consistency in cooking,” a statement signed by the President’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, read on Monday.
President Buhari praises Hilda Baci for putting Nigeria on the map, according to the statement.
The restaurant owner switched on her cooker at 4 o’clock on Thursday and started the competition. On Monday morning, she beat the previous world record holder.
If recognized by the Guinness World Records, she will succeed Indian chef Lata Tondon, who currently holds the record after completing 87 hours and 45 minutes of record-breaking uninterrupted cooking in 2019.
At the moment, Baci is engaged in a culinary marathon at Amore Gardens in Lekki, Lagos State.
She hit the four-day mark on Monday morning.
The President took notice of the restauranteur’s history and addressed a long-running dispute with Ghana over which African nation should own the trademark for making superior jollof rice by presiding over the Jollof Face-off Competition in 2021.
In the hopes that other young people may follow in her footsteps, Buhari also thinks that Baci’s passion and ambition have increased interest in and understanding of the distinctiveness of Nigerian cuisine, another cultural icon with significant tourist advantages.
He praised the chefs’ supporters, the sponsors of the Hilda Baci Cook-a-thon, government leaders, including Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, stars from the burgeoning music and entertainment industries, and the sponsors of the event.
The President also sends Hilda Baci wishes for greater elegance and a successful career.
