Nationality: Nigeria
Inducted: 2026
Notable Record(s):
- Longest cooking marathon (individual)
- Largest serving of Nigerian style jollof rice
An ICON because...
Hilda Baci is cooking, and we are here for it.
After she broke the world record for the longest cooking marathon (individual), her example instantly turned on the heat for record-breaking across the African continent.
Chef Hilda Bassey (known on social media as Hilda Baci) hails from Akwa Ibom, Nigeria.
She moved her first steps in the kitchen when she was only five years old, assisting her mother in her restaurant. Hilda's love for cooking eventually bloomed into a record-breaking, herculean feat in 2023, when she surpassed Lata Tondon’s longest cooking marathon (individual).
The Nigerian chef continued to cook for an uninterrupted 93 hours and 11 minutes, whipping up 55 recipes and powering through a record attempt that became viral on social media.
Although she lost her record to Irish chef Alan Fisher, Hilda claimed a new title in 2025, when she smashed the record for the largest serving of Nigerian style jollof rice.
In 2023, Hilda was also recognized as Young Person of the Year at The Future Awards Africa.
