Nigerian chef Hilda Baci has been confirmed by Guinness World Records as the cook of the largest ever pot of jollof rice, a dish that weighed 8,780 kilograms after a nine-hour preparation in Lagos last week.
Guinness World Records announced the achievement on social media. Organisers said the mammoth pot required a custom-made steel vessel capable of holding 23,000 litres and that the preparation used roughly 4,000 kg of rice, 500 cartons of tomato paste, 600 kg of onions and 168 kg of goat meat.
The attempt was almost derailed when the giant pot broke as it was being hoisted onto a crane to be weighed. The vessel buckled twice during the weigh-in but, organisers reported, none of the food was spilled. Baci and her team collected footage from multiple cameras to provide evidence for GWR recognition, and a member of her team said that material had been submitted for official confirmation.
Baci thanked her supporters and her crew in a post on social media and in videos shared online. "This moment isn't just mine... it belongs to all of us," she said, adding that the record was "built on unity, love, and collective strength." She paid tribute to a "tireless team" that helped execute the plan.
Thousands of people gathered in Lagos to watch the bid. Baci was assisted by 10 other chefs in red uniforms who used long wooden spoons to stir the dish. After the record bid, the rice was divided into individual portions and distributed to spectators and passersby.
Baci said the effort took a year of planning. Manufacturing the giant steel vessel took about two months and a workforce of roughly 300 people; one of the pot's legs gave way during the crucial weighing operation. The cook has previously attracted global attention: she won a jollof rice competition in 2021 and in 2023 claimed a Guinness title for the longest cooking marathon, a near four-day session that lasted 93 hours and 11 minutes.
Her 2023 marathon record was later surpassed; the current Guinness World Record for longest cooking marathon stands at 140 hours and 11 minutes, held by Evette Quoibia of Australia, according to GWR.
Jollof rice is a staple across several West African countries, prepared by simmering rice in a spiced tomato sauce and often served with meat or seafood. The dish has deep cultural resonance across the region and is frequently celebrated at festivals, family gatherings and competitive culinary events.
Organisers and Baci framed the record as a national and continental achievement. "We made history together, for Nigeria, for Africa, and for everyone who believes in the power of food to bring us closer," she wrote. Guinness's confirmation on social media marked the latest high-profile achievement in a series of public stunts that have made Baci a prominent figure in Nigeria's food scene.