Nigerian celebrity chef and Guinness World Record holder, Hilda Baci, has revealed why she reduced her world record attempt from 250 to 200 bags of rice at her Lagos mega-event.

She explained that the adjustment was due to technical limits with the crane and scale, which could only carry 20,000kg, including the custom pot.

“The goal was that by the time I was done making 5,000 kilogrammes, I was hoping to achieve about 17,000 to 18,000 kilogrammes. Right now, if I include the weight of the pot, that’s about 20,000. It’s safer for me to go below 20,000 kilogrammes so that my scale can carry it all at the same time,” she said.

Despite the reduction, she reassured that “This 4,000 kilogrammes of rice is 200 bags of rice and it will still feed 20,000 people, so we’re still up there.”

Baci described the project as “the most ambitious of her career,” noting it took nine months of planning and nine hours of cooking.

“I mean, have you looked around? There’s a lot of you. Some of you came with your cooler, so we need to make sure everybody’s fed. We’re feeding the nation,” she added.

Guinness World Records also acknowledged the attempt online, writing: “What’s cookin’? Best of luck to @hildabacicooks who’s attempting a new record for the largest serving of Nigerian style jollof rice today.”