VIDEO: Hilda Baci named Guinness World Records Icon

Nigerian chef and restaurateur Hilda Baci has been honored with the prestigious Guinness World Records (GWR) Icon recognition. This distinction celebrates her significant impact on global record-breaking culture and her role in inspiring a surge of GWR attempts within Nigeria.

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I don’t know what to say… we started a movement. I did this. I don’t want to cry. It feels really good to know that things like this can happen to people like me.

Baci becomes the first Nigerian to receive this special recognition, which is awarded to individuals whose achievements transcend record-setting to leave a lasting international mark. She is a multiple GWR holder, notably setting the record for the longest individual cooking marathon in May 2023, and later breaking two mass-cooking records in September 2025.

In a video shared by Guinness World Records, Baci expressed her emotion, reflecting on her journey. "I don’t know what to say… we started a movement. I did this. I don’t want to cry. It feels really good to know that things like this can happen to people like me," she said. Baci added that while she had strong faith in her endeavor, she never anticipated its widespread impact or the scale of recognition she would receive.

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I had so much faith in what I was doing, I never saw how far it could go, I never saw how much impact it would make, I definitely did not think there would come a time I would not have one but three… and now being named a Guinness World Record Icon. I am so grateful to God. This is for Nigeria, this is for all of us.

Guinness World Records highlighted Baci's culinary journey, from assisting her mother in a restaurant during primary school to becoming a prominent chef. Her record-breaking 93-hour and 11-minute cook-a-thon in Lagos in 2023 drew widespread attention. The organization noted that within two months of her attempt, GWR received over 1,500 new applications from Nigeria, demonstrating the inspirational effect of her feat. Baci advised aspiring record-breakers to prioritize preparation.

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record titles are often about more than breaking records, noting that such achievements can reflect a person’s self-belief, ambition and determination.