Smarting from her success as Guinness World Record- er (GWR) holder for the longest hours of cooking by Individuals, Nigerian Chef, Hilda Effiong Bassey, known as Chef Baci, has continued to enjoy attention and recognition from across Nigeria and the world.
The latest of such is her invitation by the National institute for Hospitality and Tourism (NIHOTOUR) as special guest at its Gastronomy Festival, which holds today at the International Conference Centre (ICC), Abuja.
This development was disclosed by the Director-General of NIHOTOUR, Alhaji Nura Kangiwa while describing Chef Baci’s feat as a worthy recognition for the uniqueness of the nation’s culinary sector hence her invitation as special guest to the festival.
He said: “Besides the new world record of cooking achieved by Hilda as adjudged by the committee of the Guinness World Records, for us, in NIHO- TOUR, we recognise that her success has become a beacon that is now encouraging more Nigerian youths to take up careers in the hospitality and catering sub-sectors.’’
He added: ‘‘You see, as an occupational skills development Institute, our primary mandate is to enable people to acquire requisite skills to become self-employed, by adding value to the hospitality and tourism industry, and Hilda Bassey exemplifies that. “So, like most Nigerians, NIHOTOUR is impressed with her commitment to excel.”
This year’s Gastronomy Festival is the third consecutive food and beverage exhibition and sampling event, initiated and annually organised by NIHO- TOUR, since 2021.
It is one of the largest of its kind in Africa, with public exhibition and free tasting of hundreds of culinary masterpieces from Nigeria’s over 300 ethnic groups and the international community, including cuisines from China, Spain, Senegal, Trinidad and Tobago, as well as Cote D’Ivoire.
“By law, NIHOTOUR, as Nigeria’s lead hospitality and tourism occupational skills development Institute is required to mitigate the skills-gap challenges of personnel in the industry and to equally drum-up support for practitioners that are, despite the odds, achieving measurable success the tradecraft and Hilda Bassey is one of such rare cases of gastro- nomic success Nigeria has attained,” Kangiwa added.
