The Nigerian cooking sensation, Hilda Bassey Effiong, popularly called Hilda Baci, has broken the Guinness World Record (GWR) for the longest cooking marathon by an individual.

The young chef, hailed from Akwa Ibom State, achieved the new record and set another one in the early hours of Monday at the Amore Gardens, Lekki in Lagos.

The competition — better known as cook-a -thon — started on Thursday at exactly 4 pm after the celebrated restaurateur turned on her cooker.

Baci aimed to beat the 87 hours 45 minutes record set by Lata Tondon, the Indian chef who is the current Guinness World Record holder. Tondon achieved the feat in 2019.

The Nigerian record breaker is expected to stop the cook-a-thon challenge when she hits the 97-hour mark.

While commenting on why she embarked on the tedious task, Baci said it is one of her biggest aspirations, adding that it is also an opportunity to tell some positive stories from Africa through food.

“The journey to the cook-a-thon started five years ago. It is one of my biggest aspirations and I am glad that I took the bold step to embark on this adventure. I have taken time to prepare for this psychologically and I am proud to finally take on this challenge.”

“The cook-a-thon is also an opportunity to tell some of the positive stories that come from Africa through the meals that we make.”

“This attempt is also proof of the strength young people can exhibit with the right platform and support. I look forward to receiving support from people across the world to achieve this feat,” she said.

Recall Integrity News reports that top dignitaries in Nigeria threw their weight behind her quest to break the Guinness World Record of longest cooking time by an individual.

President-elect, Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Lagos State governor, Babajide Sanwo-olu drummed their support for the cooking sensation.

Earlier this morning, the anointed candidate for the position of the 10th Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio and senator-elect from Kwara Central, Saliu Mustapha joined many Nigerians to cheer chef Hilda Bassey on her way to breaking the Guinness World Record for the “longest cooking marathon by an individual”

Speaking via his official Facebook account, the former governor of Akwa Ibom said: “I was this morning accompanied by my colleagues Senators elect, on a solidarity visit to an Akwa Ibom child, Hilda Baci, who is set to break the Guiness Book of record as the Chef with the longest cooking duration in the world.

“I pray for her success and I promise to reward her at the end of the event.
I thank her for exhibiting the Can Do Spirit of the Akwa Ibom child. FORWARD EVER, BACKWARD NEVER.l,” Akpabio Said.

i-News Nigeria