Nollywood powerhouse Funke Akindele turned heads and spoons Friday night at the Eko Hotel and Suites, where she dove headfirst into celebrity chef Hilda Baci’s audacious Guinness World Record bid for the world’s largest pot of Nigerian jollof rice—proving that star power can spice up even the mightiest of meals. Amid the sizzle of 200 bags of rice (down from an initial 250 due to weighing tweaks) bubbling in a colossal 22,619-liter vessel, Akindele grabbed a giant ladle, stirred the tomato base alongside Baci and Ogun State First Lady Bamidele Abiodun, and had the 20,000-strong crowd roaring.
What began as the Gino World Jollof Festival—a vibrant mashup of music, dance, and cultural flair—quickly became Akindele’s stage. The “Jenifa’s Diary” creator and box-office queen mounted the platform for an impromptu dance routine that whipped fans into a frenzy before seamlessly transitioning to the kitchen, where she helped mix the aromatic base for the feast set to feed over 30,000 attendees. “Had a blast supporting @hildabaci as she attempts to break another record with her jollof rice masterpiece! Proud to be part of a community that uplifts and inspires young creatives to dream big,” Akindele posted on Instagram, capturing clips of her hands-on moment that racked up thousands of views overnight.
Baci, fresh off her 2023 marathon cookathon triumph (93 hours and 11 minutes of non-stop kitchen wizardry), scaled her jollof quest to emphasize authenticity over excess, ensuring the dish stayed true to its peppery, tomato-kissed roots. The event, relocated from Muri Okunola Park to Eko Hotel for the surging crowd, drew a star-studded lineup including Enioluwa Adeoluwa, Tomike Adeoye, Veekee James, Kaffy, and Alex Unusual, all cheering as the pot—measuring six meters wide and tall—simmered to perfection. Even Guinness World Records chimed in pre-cook with a cheeky “Best of luck, Hilda and team!” on social media, while President Tinubu’s administration lauded it as a showcase of Nigerian excellence.
Akindele didn’t hold back on her praise for Baci, calling her “beautiful with brains” and a beacon of hard work during a live chat, emphasizing the duo’s shared ethos of lifting others up. “Let’s keep celebrating our talents,” she urged fans, a nod to the communal spirit that saw takeaway packs distributed citywide and coolers encouraged for extras.
X lit up with viral clips of Akindele’s stir session, from “Aunty Funke turning up the heat—literally! 😂 #HildaBaciJollof” to “Funke Akindele humble king joining the pot party. Naija stars dey show love!” As Baci awaits the official GWR verdict—pot drama aside—this jollof jamboree cements her as Nigeria’s flavor ambassador, with Akindele stealing just the right amount of spotlight to make it unforgettable.