2,000 People Registered To Be At Record Breaking Jollof Rice Attempt In Lagos

Guinness World Record holder Hilda Effiong Bassey, popularly known as Hilda Baci, has revealed that over 20,000 people registered to attend her attempt to cook the world’s largest pot of jollof rice.

The Nigerian chef shared the news in a recent video on her Instagram page.

“Now, we put out a link for people to register to attend the event. And to my greatest surprise over 20,000 people registered to attend this event,” she said.

Baci expressed her gratitude to her fans, adding, “I mean, who am I that you guys really care about what I am doing. It means so much to me and I don’t take it for granted. Now, your safety and your comfort is so important to us and the venue we were going to be using before which is Muri Okunola Park, is a 3,000, at most a 3,500 capacity venue, which is not even enough to accommodate half the number of people that have registered.”

To accommodate the massive crowd, Baci confirmed that the event will now take place at Eko Hotels and Suites, also located on Victoria Island, Lagos.

“So, we have decided that we are going to be changing the venue, but this time the venue is bigger, it’s amazing and it’s not even far from the previous venue. The new venue is, drumroll please… Eko Hotels and Suites,” she said.

The event is scheduled for Friday, September 12, 2025, starting at 9 a.m., and Baci emphasised that attendance is free.

“Now this event is completely free. You are not to pay for registration and you are certainly not going to be paying for the amazing meal that I am going to make for you. I cannot wait to see you there,” she concluded.

In a follow-up post on Friday addressing public concerns about hygiene, Baci reassured fans that the enormous six-metre-wide pot has been thoroughly cleaned.

Sharing the update on her Instagram page, she revealed that she personally scrubbed the pot using a well-known detergent brand to ensure top sanitary standards.

“Yes, I can officially confirm this pot is squeaky clean! I personally rolled up my sleeves and washed it myself,” Baci wrote. “In just a few hours, this same pot will be home to thousands of servings of Nigerian Jollof history in the making.”