- The Nigerian chef becomes the first citizen of her country to receive the GWR Icon distinction.
- Guinness World Records named Nigerian chef Hilda Baci a GWR Icon on Thursday, making her the first Nigerian to receive the honor recognizing lasting global impact.
Guinness World Records named Nigerian chef Hilda Baci a GWR Icon on Thursday, making her the first Nigerian to receive the honor recognizing lasting global impact.
The organization cited Baci’s effect on global record-breaking culture and her role in inspiring a wave of Guinness World Records attempts across Nigeria. The announcement landed on Thursday, June 18.
The GWR Icon title is a distinction Guinness World Records uses to recognize individuals, groups, or globally significant figures whose achievements have gone beyond record-setting to leave a lasting international impact. Baci now joins a select class of honorees from around the world who carry that designation permanently.
The ICONS will be featured in the upcoming Guinness World Records 2027 edition, scheduled for publication in September 2026, cementing their legacy in the organization’s history of documenting human achievement. Baci’s name will appear alongside record-holders drawn from multiple continents and disciplines.
Her journey to that recognition started in May 2023, at a Lagos venue where she spent close to four days on her feet, cooking without stopping. By the time she set down her utensils, she had clocked 93 hours and 11 minutes without rest, enough to claim the Guinness World Records title for the longest cooking marathon.
Crowds gathered at the venue daily throughout that stretch, and support from across Nigeria and other African countries followed her from the first hour to the last.
Guinness World Records presented Baci with the ICON certificate after her third major record, which included a cookathon time of 75:02:53.46 and the largest serving of Nigerian-style jollof rice. That third record cemented her standing as more than a one-event phenomenon inside the organization’s books.
Guinness World Records confirmed that Baci and Gino Nigeria achieved the record for the largest serving of Nigerian-style jollof rice, weighing 8,780 kg (19,356 lb, 9 oz), at Victoria Island, Lagos, on 12 September 2025. The event drew spectators from across Lagos State and was adjudicated on-site by GWR officials.
Baci celebrated the new Guinness World Records Icon recognition under the organization’s “Feel Good” category, following her multiple record achievements in the culinary space. She shared a video on social media that same evening, displaying all three GWR certificates side by side.
Sharing an emotional message on social media, Baci admitted she initially struggled to talk about the recognition because she feared being defined by a single achievement. But she told reporters she eventually decided to embrace the moment without reservation.
Baci told reporters the recognition represented more than holding a title, describing it as a reflection of resilience, passion, discipline, and the courage to dream boldly. And she directed those words specifically at young Nigerians watching her video online.
“Passion alone is not enough,” she noted during a press briefing shared by Guinness World Records, adding that challengers need physical training, mental conditioning, proper documentation, a strong support team, and a clear understanding of Guinness World Records guidelines. Her coaching tone signals she intends to mentor future Nigerian record-seekers directly.
Baci began her culinary career while still at primary school, helping at her mother’s restaurant in Abuja, a detail Guinness World Records highlighted on its official website to contextualize her journey. That origin story ran prominently in the organization’s profile published on guinnessworldrecords.com on Wednesday, June 18.
Baci confirmed the recognition is proof that ordinary people can achieve extraordinary things through determination, resilience, and consistent hard work, a statement she made in a video displaying all three Guinness World Records certificates she has received. The Guinness World Records ICON designation earned by Hilda Baci now stands as the highest honor the organization has conferred on any Nigerian national to date.
