Nigerian celebrity chef and food entrepreneur Hilda Baci has announced that she is now a three-time Guinness World Record holder, following confirmation that her September 2025 culinary feat also earned her the title for the largest serving of rice overall. Baci made the announcement public on Tuesday through a post on Instagram, where she updated her bio to read “Chef X3 Guinness World Record Holder” and shared her excitement at beginning 2026 with an unexpected new milestone. In her post, she reflected on the moment with a mix of disbelief and joy, writing, “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,” a statement that quickly drew congratulatory messages from fans, colleagues, and public figures across Nigeria and beyond.
Details of the new recognition emerged from an official communication sent to Baci by Guinness World Records, confirming that her previous achievement had, in fact, broken two records simultaneously. According to an email from Andrew Fanning, Head of Client Partnering – Records Creative Team at Guinness World Records, the attempt certified as the “Largest serving of Nigerian-style jollof rice” also qualified as the “Largest serving of rice” when assessed against existing record guidelines. “Congratulations, you are Officially Amazing (again)!” Fanning wrote in the email. “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.’” Reacting to the revelation, Baci said she was completely taken by surprise by the development, explaining that she discovered the additional record months after the initial announcement. “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,” she said, adding that she had believed the September 2025 recognition marked the end of that chapter.
The latest record traces back to a high-profile cookout held in Lagos in September 2025, where Baci prepared an extraordinary 8,780 kilograms, or 19,356 pounds, of Nigerian-style jollof rice in a single serving. The event, which attracted widespread attention both locally and internationally, was officially recognised by Guinness World Records as the largest serving of jollof rice ever prepared anywhere in the world. At the time, the feat was announced as her second Guinness World Record, following her historic 2023 achievement in which she completed a 93-hour, 11-minute cooking marathon. That earlier accomplishment made her Nigeria’s first chef to hold multiple Guinness World Records and firmly established her as a global symbol of culinary endurance and ambition. The new confirmation means that what was initially considered a single record-breaking effort in 2025 has now been recognised as two distinct records achieved on the same day, bringing her total to three.
Reflecting further on the discovery, Baci explained how the realisation reshaped her understanding of the achievement. “When @ginonaija and I broke the Guinness World Record for the largest serving of Nigerian-style jollof rice, I thought that was it,” she said. “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.” She credited the success to the collective effort behind the scenes, singling out members of her team for their dedication and precision throughout the planning and execution stages. In particular, she praised collaborator @oreoluwa_atinmo, describing their partnership as central to turning the vision into reality and emphasising that the moment felt complete only when shared with those who helped make it possible.
Beyond her team, Baci also expressed gratitude to God, Guinness World Records, and her supporters, describing the experience as both humbling and reaffirming. “Honestly, God is faithful. The kind of faithful that still surprises you,” she said, adding that the recognition served as a reminder that there can still be more to achieve even after major milestones. She concluded by thanking her supporters for their encouragement and belief, saying the achievement belonged to everyone who stood by her throughout the journey. With three Guinness World Records now to her name, Baci’s latest recognition further cements her status as one of Nigeria’s most decorated chefs, while also spotlighting Nigerian cuisine on the global stage and reinforcing the country’s growing influence in contemporary food culture.