President Muhammadu Buhari has congratulated 27-year-old gourmet chef, Hilda Bassey Effiong, aka Hilda Baci, who made history by breaking the world record of longest hours of cooking, finding her way into the Guinness Book of Records, and placing Nigeria in the global spotlight.
The president spoke via a statement signed by his Special Adviser on Media & Publicity, Femi Adesina on Monday.
The Herald can report that Hilda Baci completed 100 hours of cooking at 8 pm on Monday to create her own record.
Earlier in the day, she shattered the previous record set by Lata Tandon, an Indian chef, in 2019.
Lata Tandon cooked for 87 hours, 45 minutes, and 00 seconds to break the previous record.
President Buhari lauded 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, and trains other talents on entrepreneurship, and now leads the world in resilience, perseverance, and consistency in cooking.
The president noted the antecedents of the restaurateur, who dazzled at the Jollof Face-off Competition, 2021, preparing mouth-watering dishes that won the choice prize, and settled an age-long rivalry with Ghana on which African country should own the trademark for cooking better jollof- rice.
“President Buhari believes Hilda Baci’s drive and ambition have brought more interest and insight into the uniqueness of Nigerian food, as another cultural icon, with huge tourism benefits, hoping more young people will follow in her footsteps.
“The President thanks the sponsors of Hilda Baci Cook-a-thon, government officials, including Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State, celebrities from the bubbling music and movie industry, and fans of the chef for all the support that has brought glory to the country.
“President Buhari wishes Hilda Baci more grace for a prosperous career,” the statement read in part.