By Gideon Maxwell
September 13, 2025
Former Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, has commended Nigerian culinary star Hilda Baci for her creativity, innovation, and cultural pride, saying her work reminds Nigerians that greatness often begins from the simplest of places, even in a pot of rice.
In a message celebrating Hilda’s record-breaking culinary feat, Osinbajo described her as a shining example of how imagination and courage can transform ordinary experiences into stories of national pride and global recognition.
“Hilda Baci reminded us yesterday that greatness can begin in the simplest of places, even in a pot of rice,” Osinbajo wrote. “With imagination and courage, she turned Jollof, our beloved national treasure, into a story that carried Nigeria’s culture to the world.”
He noted that her bold attempt at setting a Guinness World Record for the Largest Pot of Jollof Rice went beyond cooking, it became a celebration of creativity, community, and cultural identity.
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“In the scale of her effort and in the generosity of its sharing, she proved that food is never just food. It is memory, it is pride, it is identity served to the world on a single plate,” Osinbajo said.
He praised Hilda’s ingenuity and heart, describing her project as a symbol of Nigeria’s vast potential for innovation:
“I commend Hilda for the brilliance of her idea, for the heart behind its execution, and for attempting a Guinness World Record for the Largest Pot of Jollof Rice ever in such a creative way. She has shown us that creativity, like Jollof, is one of Nigeria’s greatest exports.”
Ending on a light-hearted note that echoed his trademark humour, Osinbajo added:
“Some may say I am a little biased, but you see that smoky Jollof at the bottom of the pot… that will always be the truth.”
Hilda Baci, who became a household name after her Guinness World Record-breaking cook-a-thon in 2023, continues to use food as a bridge between culture, creativity, and national pride, values Osinbajo said the younger generation must continue to uphold.
