Since 2023, when she set the Guinness World Records (GWR) record for the longest cooking marathon (individual), celebrity chef Hilda Bacci’s record-breaking streak has been unbroken.
This time around, Guinness has presented her with a certificate as a Guinness World Records ICON.
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With this recognition, Hilda has made history as the first African human to be recognised as an icon by the Guinness World Records.
The only other living being resident in Africa to hold the title is Jonathan the tortoise, the oldest terrestrial animal, based in the British Overseas Territory of St Helena.
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Guinness World Records ICONS celebrates the incredible people and moments that shape the world we live in.
Currently, Guinness lists 67 personalities on its website as World Records Icons.
The list includes global figures such as Taylor Swift, Beyoncé, Drake, Dolly Parton, John Cena, Usain Bolt, MrBeast, and many others.
However, the list is being updated regularly.
In 2023, Hilda, then 26, set a new record, preparing over 100 pots of food during her four-day cook-a-thon.
She followed it up with another Guinness World Record in September 2025 when she cooked the ‘Largest Serving of Nigerian-Style Jollof Rice’
In January, Guinness also revealed that Hilda had set a new record for the largest serving of jollof rice.
Guinness Icon
In one of her latest achievements, Guinness World Records has congratulated her on receiving her ICON certificate.
A statement from GWR outlines her impact on record attempts, not just in Nigeria but all over Africa.
“Celebrity chef @hildabaci from Nigeria broke the Guinness World Records title for the longest cooking marathon in May 2023. Her 93-hour and 11-minute attempt took social media by storm and inspired others in Nigeria to take part and attempt a record of their own, resulting in thousands of applications in the months that followed.
“The impact Hilda’s attempt had on record-breaking from not just Nigeria, but other countries in Africa was profound, and her influence still lives on to this day. Hilda achieved her second and third record titles in 2025 for the largest serving of jollof rice and overall record for the largest serving of rice, weighing in at 8,780 kilograms (19,356 lb 9 oz),” the statement reads.
Proud moment
Reacting to the honour, Hilda Bacci said that one of the hardest things for her was believing that it was real.
In a video which she posted on her Instagram page, the celebrity chef said that she feels honoured to be bringing this home.
“I’m probably the first Nigerian to get this award.
And I am very proud, very honoured to be the Guinness World Records Icon 2027.
It feels good to know that things like this can happen for people like me. People see me taking pictures and attending fun events, but I promise you, there was once a time when I had gotten to a level where I thought that my dreams could never come true, you know,” she said in the emotional video.
Teary-eyed, Hilda said that pushing herself to attempt the record was hard for her.
“This plaque in my hand, there’s a part of me that dumbs it down because it is me. Sometimes, when I hear people talk about me and the things I’ve done and the things I’ve been able to achieve, I don’t listen to it because my mind almost cannot accept that it is me.
“And now, even being named as a Guinness World Records icon and having a two or three-page spread in the Guinness Book of Records, I’m so grateful to God. And I love so much that right next to my name, there’s Nigeria on it because this is for Nigeria. This is for all of us,” she added.
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