Hilda Baci has begun her attempt to cook the world’s largest pot of jollof rice at the Eko Hotel Car Park B in Victoria Island, Lagos, Nigeria.
The event, titled the World Jollof Festival, began on Friday, 12 September at 9:00am, after organisers changed the venue from Muri Okunola Park to accommodate the large number of people who registered to attend.
The festival is sponsored by GINO, a brand under GBfoods Nigeria, and was open to the public at no cost. According to the organisers, over 20,000 people had registered as of Thursday, 11 September.
Baci is attempting to cook 250 bags of rice in a custom-built pot with a capacity of 22,619 litres. The pot measures six metres in width, 1.1 metres in height, and 1.3 metres in depth. It will be filled to 80 percent of its capacity and will contain ingredients including garlic, ginger, thyme, rosemary, curry, and other spices.
The cooking crew had arrived early around 4:00am at the venue to set things in order.
Before starting, Baci and her mother prayed together at the venue. She later said the effort is meant to celebrate Nigerian food and culture, describing jollof rice as a symbol of “who we are, our culture, our togetherness, and our shared pride.”
The festival includes food exhibitions, cultural displays, live music, and other activities. Organisers said the new venue offers a safer and larger space for the crowd expected, while giving the record attempt a more suitable stage.
Baci previously held the Guinness World Records title for the longest individual cooking marathon, after cooking for more than 100 hours in 2023.
That record was later surpassed by Alan Fisher from Ireland, who cooked for 119 hours and 57 minutes.
Through the World Jollof Festival, Baci aims to regain international recognition while hosting a large cultural celebration centred on jollof rice.
