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The Guinness World Records on Thursday named Nigerian chef and restaurateur Hilda Baci a GWR Icon, recognising her influence on global record-breaking culture and her role in inspiring a wave of Guinness World Records attempts in Nigeria.
She becomes the first Nigerian to receive the GWR Icon recognition.
The GWR Icon title is a special distinction used by Guinness World Records to honour individuals, groups or globally significant figures whose achievements go beyond record-setting to leave a lasting international impact.
Baci is a multiple Guinness World Records holder, with achievements including the longest individual cooking marathon in May 2023 and two mass-cooking records in September 2025.
Reacting in a video shared by Guinness World Records, she became emotional while reflecting on her journey from her first record attempt to her latest recognition.
“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 said she never imagined the scale of her impact despite her strong belief in her goal.
“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 said her story represents more than record-breaking, highlighting qualities such as ambition, determination and self-belief.
The organisation traced her journey from helping in her mother’s restaurant in Abuja as a child to becoming one of Nigeria’s most recognised culinary figures.
After studying sociology, she explored media and acting before becoming a professional chef in 2020 and launching her restaurant business.
Her breakthrough came during the cook-a-thon in Lagos from 11 to 15 May 2023, where she cooked continuously for 93 hours and 11 minutes, attracting nationwide support and global attention.
Although the record has since been broken, Guinness World Records said her achievement has a lasting impact, noting that over 1,500 applications from Nigeria followed her attempt.
When advising future record breakers, she stressed preparation.
“Preparation is everything. Passion alone is not enough,” she said.
Baci later returned to the record books in September 2025 with a large-scale rice cooking project in Lagos in partnership with Gino Nigeria, producing a massive serving weighing 8,780 kilograms and distributed in more than 16,600 portions.
She said she plans to expand her brand internationally while promoting Nigerian cuisine globally.
“If my journey gave someone else the courage to attempt something bold, then that means more to me than the title itself,” she said.
