My Take On Hilda Baci’s Historic Largest Pot Of Jollof Attempt, By Femi Ajibode

“A notable shortcoming in the event’s execution was the construction of an aluminum pot to cook the rice, which proved inadequate due to its lightweight nature and inability to handle heavy loads”

She came, she saw, and she conquered. Initially, I was uncertain when I heard that she intended to cook 250 bags of rice in one pot. I expressed my skepticism to my friend, stating that it seemed impossible to cook 250 kilograms of 50-kilogram bags of rice, totaling 12,500 kilograms, in a single pot. Later, I discovered that she was cooking basmati rice, which comes in 20-kilogram bags, resulting in a total of 5000 kilograms. I consider it essential to specify the quantity of the bag of rice being cooked, given that a standard bag of rice in Africa weighs 50kg. Hence, she ended up cooking 200 bags of 20kg Basmati rice, totaling 4000kg, since the rice’s weight would be too excessive for the pot.

A notable shortcoming in the event’s execution was the construction of an aluminum pot to cook the rice, which proved inadequate due to its lightweight nature and inability to handle heavy loads. In hindsight, the organizers should have opted for a more robust iron or steel pot, even if it would have been more expensive. As the adage goes, ‘a job worth doing is worth doing well.’ Notably, the event’s planning process spanned one year. I hope you saw how the pot was going to collapse as the crane was about to lift it up to be weighed; Hilda seemed distraught when the pot collapsed, prompting the crowd to wail in despair. Thank God they had to halt the process of lifting the pot; it would have been a major disaster.

She made a commendable effort to achieve this feat, feeding 20,000 people, which is a remarkable accomplishment. It is prudent to weigh the pros and cons before embarking on unprecedented endeavors. Let us applaud and express gratitude to Hilda Baci for her outstanding contribution.