Hilda Baci stirs Nigeria’s melting pot: Between May 11 and May 15 , celebrated Nigerian chef Hilda Baci whipped Nigerians into a frenzy as Nigerians shed their prejudices and forgot their problems to gather round her pot and watch her cook for over 100 hours and break a record in the process.
It is not exactly clear when the 27-year-old from Akwa-Ibom decided to go for an almost impossible feat. But some years ago, she became convinced she could somehow break the world record for the longest cooking time of 87 hours set by an Indian Chef Lata Tondon.
When the race finally started on May 11, 2023,Nigerians soon got wind of it and gathered around one of their own as she began a relentless march to the history books.
Public officers, top politicians and Nigerians from all walks of life either sent their best wishes to the chef or visited her kitchen in Lagos to savour her culinary skills. More than two hundred meals were prepared and over three thousand people fed.
It is indeed striking that within a year, two young Nigerian women have put Nigeria on the global map. First, in July 2022,Tobi Amusan surged to Nigeria’s first ever gold medal in the World Athletics Championships in Oregon,USA.
The world over, throughout the course of history, women have shown that they can compete,and go toe to toe with men when provided the opportunity. This has always been a source of great discomfort to those who have always argued that women should stick to their place in the kitchen, bedroom or in other spaces that are meant to keep them hidden.
Unfortunately for Nigeria, a country where women have always shown that they can stand up to be counted, President Muhammadu Buhari who is counting days to leave office, is one of those who believe women should know their place and stay there.
In 2018, Buhari rather hastily branded Nigerian youths “lazy”. When his comments went viral much to his embarrassment, he tried to backtrack and clarify what he meant. But by then, the damage had been done. In another interview in 2016, he had said his wife’s place was in the kitchen, living room and the other room.
It is rather fitting that just as he prepares to leave office, two young Nigerian women have recently broken records on the global stage to push Nigeria into the global spotlight.
On the back of elections that were probably the most flawed in Nigeria’s political history, Nigerian women have continued to show that they can make sacrifices for Nigeria.
It was especially sweet to see how much an open letter to the President of the United States written by another Nigerian woman, critically acclaimed writer Ngozi Chimamanda Adichie, rankled the establishment of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) over the outcome of the recent presidential election.
Nigerian women continue to thrive and do great things despite the pressure that inherently comes with being a woman in Nigeria.
Had Baci chosen to be a Nigerian woman of easy virtue and drawn Nigeria international opprobrium and condemnation in the process, Nigerians would have been left gnashing their teeth in shame instead of celebrating her extraordinary accomplishment.
Baci’s brilliant feat also invokes another issue that has not been given sufficient attention in Nigeria which is the issue of women’s participation in politics.
In April 2022,the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja in an epochal decision ordered the Federal Government to reserve 35 percent of all appointments into public office for women.
The decision had come at the instance of a court action by a group of people who had become increasingly frustrated as attempts to implement the National Gender Policy met familiar resistance.
However, and rather predictably, the decision has received a very short shrift from Nigeria’s policymakers who continue to shirk the decisions that would see women enjoy their due.
In a country where women have been stereotyped for ages and forced to pigeonholed into roles and positions,Baci stands out as one who unapologetically bucks the trend.
Coming at a time when women have become easy targets of the cowardly criminals who rampage through Nigeria, Baci’s feet and the woman herself are an inspiration just like Amusan, Adichie and many other hardworking NIgerian women.
Even in the captivity of terrorists for close to a decade, Leah Sharibu remains a startling testament to the resilience of the Nigerian woman and a far more effective rebuke to the terrorists who have made a beloved country unrecognizable.
May Baci’s feat endure and be worth its weight in gold. May her historical record bring visibility to Nigerian women and in the process rip the glass ceiling to shreds.
Kene Obiezu,
keneobiezu@gmail.com
