No OBIDients, BATists Or ATIKUlates — How Hilda Baci Unified Nigerian Youths After Divisive Elections

By Mayowa Oladeji Last updated May 15, 2023

The aftermath of the recently-concluded 2023 elections widened the rift across party and ethnic lines, especially across the youth who sought a change from the established order — a salve was needed to heal the post-electoral lacerations: here comes Hilda Baci.

A renowned chef, Hilda Baci (real name: Hilda Effiong) is an inspiring entrepreneur and chef who has made a name for herself in the Nigerian food industry.

Despite starting her career as a chef just recently in 2020, she has managed to build a successful brand for herself known as @Myfoodbyhilda.

After years of preparation and fitness training, she decided to Hilda Baci embark on a journey to break the Guinness World Record for the longest cooking marathon.

Guess what? She eventually broke the record previously held by Lata Tondon, who completed the task in 87 hours, 45 minutes, and 00 secs in Rewa, India in 2019.

The cook-a-thon, which began on May 11 featured a live-streamed show on multiple social media channels where Hilda Baci made over 250 recipes.

Speaking on her journey, she said;

The journey to the cook-a-thon started five years ago. It is one of my biggest aspirations and I am glad that I took the bold step to embark on this adventure. I have taken time to prepare for this psychologically and I am proud to finally take on this challenge.

The cook-a-thon is also an opportunity to tell some of the positive stories that come from Africa through the meals that we make.

This attempt is also proof of the strength young people can exhibit with the right platform and support. I look forward to receiving support from people across the world to achieve this feat.

Baci The Unifier

Despite her pre-planning regarding sleep deprivation and fitness, the record might not have been achieved without the whole nation, especially the youth demographics (online and offline) behind her.

Many defied the elements, singing her praises as she continue to churn out well-prepared dishes to the adulation of the crowd.

Her assistant, Sunny, also played a very huge role, assisting her while being her comfort at times whereby it seemed she might give up.

The irony of this situation should not escape anyone who reflects, considering how social media has morphed into a battleground in the aftermath of the elections — this shows that it takes just a little to keep Nigerians happy and Baci’s achievement should serve as a wake-up call for politicians to harness the strength and resilience of the Nigerian youth towards building a better Nigeria.