Nigerian cooking sensation, Hilda Baci (Hilda Bassey Effiong), 27, claimed that her culinary abilities were predestined from above.
After breaking the previous record of 87 hours and 45 minutes established by Indian chef Lata Tondon last Monday and cooking for 100 hours, Baci received a tonne of support from Nigerians and those living abroad.
The culinary guru said that cooking has always been a pleasure she treasures in an interview for Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily.
The young chef said, “So, even when I was a TV presenter — and that’s not to say I’m no longer a [TV] host because I’m still very capable of doing those things, it’s more, I chose to apply myself more here because I needed to focus on this aspect of my life and the business aspect, to basically build a system.
“Even when I was on TV, what I did was host a cooking show and a cooking segment on a breakfast show. So, somehow, even in the other aspects of my career, cooking still pretty much shines out the best, and I would say it’s what God wants me to do.”
She emphasised once more that she had discovered her calling as a chef due to the success of her catering company, MyFood by Hilda.
“The minute I started my business, the response to it was amazing. The response to it has been amazing, and that’s just a testament to show that this is what I’m meant to do and I love doing it. So, for the most part, it doesn’t feel like work,” Baci said.
Before anyone tries to topple her achievement, Baci said in the interview that she would love to receive her Guinness World Record certificate.
Nigerian chef Hilda Effiong Bassey has become a national sensation after cooking nonstop for 100 hours, in an attempt to set a world record. https://t.co/7sG0P65Lpt pic.twitter.com/fDi2bNN7TC
— CNN International (@cnni) May 16, 2023
In a related story, over 4.8 billion people were exposed to Hilda’s Baci’s recent attempt to break the record for the longest cooking period by entering the Guinness World Records, according to a media intelligence report.
According to the report, which was released by Media Intelligence Consultancy, P+ Measurement Services, performed a media performance audit on Baci’s Cook-a-thon, which earned her the distinction of “world’s longest cook,”
The corporation said that the audit looked into and revealed Hilda Baci’s Cook-a-thon sponsorships as well as the attitudes, audience reach, and market share of the media by nations.
According to the report, conventional media only obtained 13 percent of the traction while digital media earned over 87 percent, both of which were crucial in raising awareness of and participation in the event.
It explained that there were a lot of online social media mentions of the event.
The analysis claims that 67% of the media coverage of Hilda Baci’s cook-off originated in Nigeria, 15% in the US, 4% in the UK, 3% in Ghana, Nigeria’s neighbour, and 1% in Canada. The remaining countries had relatively lower media shares, with varying degrees of interest and coverage.
The report noted, “According to the analysis, the positive sentiment garnered 85%, which can be leveraged by Hilda Baci to build brand loyalty and increase engagement with her audience; while the negative sentiment of 15% suggests that any issues or concerns raised during the event were addressed promptly and effectively.
“The analysis of media share by country highlights the top five countries with the highest earned media coverage of Hilda Baci. 67% of the media coverage emanates from Nigeria, followed by the USA with 15%. The United Kingdom with 4%, Ghana with 3%, and Canada with 1%. The remaining countries had a relatively lower media share, indicating varying degrees of interest and coverage.”
“Hilda Baci’s Cook-a-thon was analysed using data harvested from traditional and digital media. These media types provided significant insights on the reach, impact, and characteristics of the event, with 87% generated from digital media and 13% from traditional media, providing a sense of credibility and authenticity to the event.”
“The audience reach of 4,812,704,500 is a testament to the popularity and success of the Cook-a-thon media engagement. The traditional media gained 13% and the digital media gained 87% based on the media types analysed. The high percentage of online media mentions also suggests that digital media played a significant role in driving awareness and engagement about the event.”
“The Amore Gardens, the top sponsor, received 18% of the media attention, followed by Uber with 14%, BaigeWallet came in third with 13%, and Arla and Woodscope in lower positions with 10% and 9%, respectively. Noting that media prominence doesn’t necessarily equate to the level of financial or logistical support provided by each sponsor. It reflects the volume of media exposure and visibility they received during the event period.
