Since news broke on Monday May 15, 2023 about a Nigerian cook, Hilda Baci cooking for over 100 hours to break and set a new world record, many Nigerians have asked Guinness to announce her as the new record holder.
If she is eventually awarded, Ms Baci will join the league of other Nigerians like Gbenga Ezekiel, Rema, Bose Omolayo, Bayo Omoboriowo, Dance Queen Kaffy, foremost accountant David Dafinone, Comedian and filmmaker AY, who have held Guinness records in different fields.
Ms Baci started her race for the title of the longest cooking marathon by an individual on Thursday, 11th of May.
She initially targeted cooking for 96 hours straight but extended it to 100 hours, about 12 hours ahead of the previous record holder.
In the four days of cook-a-thon, Baci became the toast of Nigerians, cooking over 100 dishes during her marathon, including delicacies like jollof rice, egusi soup, and fufu.
However, since achieving the feat, some Nigerians have visited the Instagram page of the current title holder, Chef Lata Tondon, to drop some unsavoury comments.
In 2019, Ms Tondon, an Indian, cooked for 87 hours and 45 minutes, 20 hours more than the previous winner, making her the first woman to achieve the feat.
Reacting to the comments of Nigerians on her Instagram photos, London called for peace, noting that it was just a record.
“A humble request to my sisters and brothers in Nigeria and India to maintain peace and wait to announce if the current record is broken or not officially. Please don’t make it a competition. It’s just a record, my friends. I am a peace-loving person and wish the same for you,” she wrote on her Insta-stories.
No love lost
In a quick reaction to her appeal, more Nigerians have continued to visit her page to express their love and appreciation for the title holder.
Some, however, pointed out that they meant no harm, and her perception of their comments as unfavourable might be out of a difference in cultural nuances.
Fadeysextoys, for instance, noted GOAT means Greatest of all Time, and not necessarily a reference to the four-legged livestock often used to connote stupidity.
“GOAT means greatest of all time. Do not talk about it offensively, please. We love you, ma’am,” she wrote.