For many years, there has been a crazy debate on which Jollof rice tastes better in Africa.
Nigeria Jollof rice or Ghana Jollof rice?
And on the 13th of September, Hilda put an end to this debate by showing that Nigeria makes the best Jollof rice when she cooked the world’s largest pot of Jollof rice.
(Sorry Ghana!)
This record had everybody talking for days with the consistency and taste for the food.
But this is not why I am writing this post, I want to take you through how Hilda Baci proved that you can change your career by choosing to be audacious, while being great at what you (for Hilda, that is cooking).
From breaking two Guinness World Records to selling digital products and turning brand collaborations into viral moments, she proved that with the right mix of visibility, strategy, and community support, anything is possible.
Her story matters, and if you’re a creator, entrepreneur, or business owner, Hilda’s journey is filled with lessons on how to turn passion or art into something profitable, use storytelling to command attention, and build a brand that people want to be involved in.
The First Guiness World Record
I remember when I was in Secondary school, the Guiness world record books were books just restricted to the library, and whenever we were on lunch break, I and my classmates would go to the library to read.
The GWR books were the most read books because it was interesting seeing various mind blowing things people did.
We believed the world record was for dare devils & outliers. That’s what everyone thought until in 2023, Hilda Baci proved it was for anyone who dared to dream.
You see, prior to Hilda’s world record attempt, she has always loved cooking.
In 2021, she won a competition (Jollof Face-Off) for her version of jollof rice. This made her a little famous, and with that new fame, she kickstarted her restaurant which she named “My Food by Hilda”.
Alongside, she took content creation seriously, as she shared food recipes and tutorials everyday, thereby growing her community and followers on social media.
As a forward thinking creator and entrepreneur, Hilda decided to take a step further and do the thing many chefs around the world hadn’t thought of
And that is to break the Guiness World record for “The Person with the longest cooking Marathon”.
Hilda titled the event “The Cook-a-thon” and according to her, the preparation for the event took many months to prepare.
On the day she announced her world record attempt on social media in 2023, it was met with a lot of mixed reactions on social media as nobody has ever thought about cooking for over 93hours.
A lot of her fans supported, while others criticized her attempt, because think about it for a second: that’s 4 days, no real sleep, just endless chopping, frying, stirring, and serving.
But to Hilda and her team, it wasn’t just about the food, it was about the audacity, attention, resilience, and the storytelling.
She also followed the announcement with press releases and interviews from media outlets like NewsCentral TV, and so on.
The day came (11th May, 2023), and like every launch day, it started out slow. However, she did something most won’t think of doing. She streamed her cook-a-thon live. With every hour her followers joined in on the livestream, and tweets were circulating all over twitter as the timer kept counting.
By the second day of the cook-a-thon, Hilda was already getting so much support.
Her friends, fans and followers kept making tweets and Instagram posts about it, calling for more people to show up for Hilda at the location where she was having the cook-a-thon.
Those tweets and posts went viral, and the world noticed.
From Lagos to London, from Instagram reels to CNN headlines, Hilda became the talk of the internet.
Celebrities, politicians (e.g the Lagos state governor), influencers, you name it, everyone wanted to be part of the moment.
It was no longer just a Guinness World Record attempt; it was a cultural moment.
However, when 93 hours were almost over, Hilda and her team announced that they will increase the time to 100 hours, and this got her even more support.
At the end of the cook-a-thon she was honored with the GWR award. Her goal was achieved as she got lots of interviews, brand sponsorships, awards, speaking engagements, visibility for her business, gifts and so much more.
But here’s the genius part: Hilda didn’t just sit back and bask in the fame.
She understood that attention is a currency, and if you don’t invest it wisely, it fades away.
So, she did the smartest thing by capitalizing on it.With lots of fans and followers craving to learn how she cooks, she rolled out digital products like recipe e-books and cooking classes, giving her new audience something tangible to buy into.
Instead of being boxed in as “that chef who broke a record,” she started building a sustainable brand, one that could outlive the hype of the Cook-a-thon.
According to members who paid for her cooking classes, her classes were booked with thousands of individuals in each group chat. These classes happen in batches, & registration to be in a batch happens twice in a year. Every time, her students graduated from her cooking school (Which she named “The Hilda Cooking Academy”, she threw an event where the top participants in her classes were awarded money (millions of Naira), phones, a car, and so on.
Hilda proved that going viral is just step one, the real magic is in converting the visibility you already have into real value. She turned a world record moment into an entry point for building a business that continues to grow.
The World Record Sequel: Largest Pot of Jollof Rice with Gino
If Hilda’s first record was about personal grit, her second showed the power of partnership.
Just fresh off the Cook-a-thon fame, she could have stopped there, but Hilda had bigger pots to stir, literally. In August 2025, she announced her second attempt at the World record as she set out to cook the largest post of Jollof rice ever recorded.
This time, she wasn’t doing it alone, she was collaborating with Gino.
Think about it: Gino is a household name in the food space, and Hilda had just become one of the most talked-about chefs in Africa. Gino wanted to be part of her next story.
It was smart marketing, plain and simple. By partnering with a brand, Hilda wasn’t just building her personal brand anymore, she was showing businesses what happens when you collaborate strategically with the right brand.
And just like the first, the announcement came with a lot of praise,
and criticisms.
On the day of the event, apart from her recipe for the tasty jollof rice which took 4,000kg of rice, 500 cartons of tomato paste, 600kg of onions and 168kg of goat meat to make, all poured into a custom-made pot that can hold 23,000 litres.
One thing you will notice is the power of community as no one cooks that much jollof rice alone.
Her friends and fans showed up in numbers, hyping her every move online and offline. Influencers stopped by, live-streaming and creating content that amplified the buzz even further.
Many media outlets picked up the story, while brands leveraged the moment to align themselves with the excitement.
There were even tie & dye outfits printed in her name to show support (talk about the power of community)
With lots of comments circulating on social media, the event created a ripple effect. Everyone wanted to feel like they were part of history-in-the-making, and Hilda gave them that chance.
According to Hilda’s post after the World record, she paid tribute to her team who worked tirelessly to make the achievement possible and hinted that the Guinness World Record for the largest pot of Jollof rice was built on unity, love, and collective strength.
Now, what does that tell you?
That virality isn’t just about the main character, it’s about the community of people, and partnerships that come together to keep the fire burning.
Lessons From Hilda Baci: What You Can Learn
Here’s the thing, Hilda’s story isn’t just about food, its a map for growth, branding, and bold moves.
Whether you’re a creator, entrepreneur, or small business owner, there are key takeaways you can apply right now:
1. Attention Is a Currency, Spend It Wisely
Going viral is not the end goal; it’s just the beginning.
Hilda didn’t waste the momentum from her Cook-a-thon, instead she channeled it into digital products, cooking classes, and brand deals.
That’s the difference between a viral moment and a lasting brand. So imagine if the spotlight was on you today, do you have something for people to buy, join, or engage with. You have to be clear on that.
2. Storytelling Makes You Unforgettable
Hilda didn’t just cook for 100+ hours, it was how she framed it. “The Cook-a-thon”, the live stream, the emotional updates on Twitter and other social media channels, the press coverage. She made it an event, not just an activity.
3. Building Your Community Is The Fastest Way To Grow
Here’s the thing: no one wins big alone.
Hilda’s records looked like personal wins, but in reality, they were achieved through the help of her community.
From fans who literally showed up on the ground, to influencers & her team who live-streamed every moment, to media houses and brands who jumped on the wave, her community turned her efforts into something bigger than herself.
4. Collaboration opens more doors
If the Cook-a-thon was Hilda flexing her personal grit, the Jollof record was her showing us the power of partnership.
By collaborating with Gino, a household food brand, she didn’t just cook rice, she showed us what a strategic partnership and collaboration can do to your brand.
Gino brought resources, visibility, and credibility; Hilda brought influence, creativity, and audience trust. Together, they created a win-win moment that trended far beyond her personal fan base.
5. Be Audacious, playing it safe doesn’t go viral
Let’s be real: if Hilda had simply started another cooking YouTube channel, we wouldn’t be talking about her right now. But cooking for 100 hours & making the world’s largest pot of jollof? These weren’t just events, they were audacious ideas that made people stop, talk, argue, support, and share.
How Creators & Business Owners Can Apply This
Now, you might be thinking: “Okay, but I’m not a chef & I’m not about to cook 4,000kg of jollof rice, so how does this apply to me?”
Here’s the truth, Hilda’s story isn’t really about cooking. It’s about brand building, visibility, and turning your peak moments into lucrative business opportunities.
Here’s how you can apply her strategy:
1. Turn your visibility into real value
Don’t just chase attention, know what to do when you get it.
If people are watching you right now, you should have a product, service, or offer ready.
Hilda had digital products and cooking classes waiting when her fame was at an all time high. What do you have ready?
2. Build your community, and not just a following on social media
The truth is followers like & scroll past, but communities show up, share, and keep talking about it. So involve your people into what you are already doing. Make them feel like part of your story, and they’ll be your biggest marketers.
3. Collaborate as much as possible
Look for strategic partnerships that make sense to your brand or business.
Just like Hilda, her collaboration with Gino made a cultural moment. So your brand in collaboration with the right partner can create a viral wave that puts you on a bigger stage.
4. Be audacious with your personal brand
Playing small keeps you safe, but it also keeps you invisible. Making big, audacious moves even if they sound crazy at first are what cut through the noise. So as you build, be bold and dare to try out audacious projects to get the write attention to your personal brand or business.
Final Words
At the end of the day, Hilda Baci’s story is bigger than food.
It’s a masterclass in how to take your passion, mix it with strategy, community, and audacity, and turn it into a brand that wins both hearts and wallets.
For creators and business owners, the takeaway is simple: Don’t just create, don’t just sell. Instead craft moments, and build your community.
Because whether you’re cooking jollof, selling products (digital or physical with the help of OwoDaily), or sharing your art online, the world doesn’t just reward talent, it rewards those who are bold enough to put themselves out there, and smart enough to turn the spotlight into something lasting.
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P.S: Here is a picture that went viral on Twitter from the Jollof event. It turns out, people came really ready to eat, even if it meant eating Hilda’s Jollof rice with their hands 😂😂
