Lagos witnesses feast of culture, numbers, and endless stirring |

KontrinewsSeptember 13, 20254 Mins read1

Lagos came alive on September 12 with a spectacle unlike anything the city had seen before. What was billed to begin at 10am as part of the Gino World Jollof Festival didn’t actually kick off until after 2pm, but the delay did little to dull the excitement. By the time the burners roared to life under the massive pot at Eko Hotels and Suites Car Park B, the air was already thick with anticipation, music, and the aroma of tomatoes and spices.

This was no ordinary cookout. For Chef Hilda Baci, it was the culmination of a two-year dream: to cook the world’s largest pot of jollof rice, not only as a Guinness World Records attempt, but as a cultural statement, a celebration of Nigerian identity, pride, and of course, the undisputed king of West African cuisine.

To manage a vessel of such staggering scale, organisers relied on a crane throughout the process. The machine was used to lift the giant steel pot’s cover whenever stirring or inspections were needed, drawing cheers each time the lid swung aside to reveal clouds of steam and the fiery glow beneath.

The numbers behind the pot are staggering. Onlookers watched as truckloads of ingredients were wheeled into the festival ground. Gino, the headline sponsor, supplied everything and they made sure their branding was impossible to miss.

Tomato puree: 13 large tubs, each weighing 20 kilograms, including Gino Pepper Jollof Max pack, Gino Pepper Chicken Max pack, and Gino Asun Max pack added in stages with one bucket dramatically slipping into the bubbling sauce and hastily fished out, a moment that drew gasps and laughter.

Pepper mix: 12 medium-sized drums, sealed tightly to prevent contamination.

Seasoning and Spices: Countless buckets of curry, thyme, garlic, ginger, and bay leaves, all supplied by Gino also added in stages.

Oil: 25 full kegs of vegetable oil, each 25 litres. That’s more than 600 litres in total.

Goat meat: Nine separate batches were weighed meticulously — 7.8kg, 11.9kg, 11kg, 12.2kg, 9.2kg, 13.6kg, 10.5kg, 14.4kg, and 16.5kg. Together, they came to over 107 kilograms of meat.

Rice: 200 bags, each 20 kilograms, totaling 4 tonnes of rice which was the heart of the record attempt.

Gas supply: Eight of 50kg gas cylinders, keeping the flames steady under the steel monster of a pot.

For perspective, the rice alone was about the weight of a fully loaded truck, and the oil could have filled a small bathtub twice over.

When the gas was lit, Hilda began with oil. Then came the surprise: instead of seasoning the goat meat first, she dropped it in raw. The move caused a stir online, with armchair chefs questioning her technique. But for Hilda, it was deliberate, letting the meat fry in its own juices before layering on the seasoning.

Next came the spices, and then the hours-long struggle with the tomato base. Viewers online joked that the sauce seemed to be fighting back. “At this rate, Guinness should give her a record for longest pepper frying,” one person quipped. It took over an hour for the tomatoes to reduce, after which pepper was added in, drum by drum.

And then the viral moment: a full bucket of puree slipped and tumbled into the pot. Helpers scrambled to pull it out with long sticks. The crowd roared, phones flew into the air, and the clip quickly spread online.

There were also moments where she gave tastings of the sauce base to gathered supporters.

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Music and laughter filled the air as the Gino concert picked up around the cooking station. Performances lit up the stage, with Nollywood star Funke Akindele making an appearance to cheer Hilda on and even helped her in stirring. The atmosphere became part kitchen, part carnival, part all-night vigil.

As night fell, the pot was still bubbling. At 11pm, Hilda was still adding water to the rice, sparking memes and commentary online. “Is this rice cooking for Nigerians at home and abroad?” one commenter joked. The livestream lagged at intervals, frustrating viewers, but many stuck with it, unwilling to miss history in the making.

But the most panicked moment came after the rice had been completed and attention turned to measurement. The crane was tasked with lifting the enormous pot, rice and all, so that officials could take final readings. As it moved upward, the hook caught awkwardly, jerking the entire pot before it slipped and crashed back into place. The impact bent part of the steel frame, sending a wave of alarm through the crowd. On the second try, however, the crane latched properly and raised the vessel enough for the measurement to be completed, greeted by sighs of relief and loud applause.

It wasn’t until the early hours of the morning that the giant pot was finally ready. Stewards moved in with giant ladles, serving steaming portions to eager attendees who had waited hours.

For many, it wasn’t just a meal; it was a once-in-a-lifetime memory, eating from what could be the world’s biggest pot of jollof rice.

But amid the celebration, one question lingers: will Guinness World Records recognise it?

On their side, Mark McKinley, one of the organisation’s senior adjudicators and listed as the Director of Central Record Services in London, was on ground to observe the attempt. McKinley has been the face of several Guinness clarifications in the past, including the official correction that adjusted Hilda Baci’s 2023 cook-a-thon from 100 hours to 93 hours, 11 minutes. He is also known for fielding public questions about Guinness rules and processes, often serving as a bridge between record-setters and the organisation’s strict guidelines. Yet, while his presence added weight to the event, Guinness has not yet released an official statement or certificate confirming that the giant jollof rice has been recognised as a world record.

Guinness procedures are strict and require detailed documentation, measurements, and safety verification.

Until then, Nigerians and jollof lovers worldwide are left waiting. But even without the record’s stamp, Hilda Baci has already achieved something monumental: she reminded the world that jollof isn’t just food. It’s culture, it’s pride, it’s togetherness and sometimes, it’s worth staying up all night for.