The Nigerian Cook, Hilda Baci, claimed she spent over 80 million nairas on the cook-a-thon contest. Some people on social media say she’s lying and suggest she got the money from a man calling her names. Michael Ogueke came to the rescue of the celebrity Chef. He claimed that he understands why they might think that way, as many have never invested money in a course.
Ogueke claimed that Hilda rented a space in Lekki for four days and built a kitchen from scratch that didn’t cost a penny. She cooked food that her team shared with over 3000 people and even donated some to charity. She also invested much in public relations by working with a top PR agency. Do not think that all of those celebrities came for the fun of it.
The team of celebrity cooks invited many of these DJs, comedians and MCs. This wasn’t just about breaking a Guinness World Record; it was a well-planned publicity stunt that gained much attention. The Guinness World Records website crashed for two days because of Hilda’s attempt in Lagos.
Michael Ogueke claimed he has some knowledge of PR because he studied communication at university. He also interned at a PR company in Lagos. Accordingly, he claimed it’s easy to belittle when you don’t understand something. But let me tell you, renting a space in Lekki is expensive. Building a kitchen for the event costs money, and feeding over 3000 people for four days isn’t cheap.
And what about the funds she set aside for charity? Working with a professional PR consultant, as she did, doesn’t come cheap, either. The publicity she generated during that time was no joke.
You might think it’s funny to think she didn’t sell any tickets and still managed to feed all those people. I was there, and I saw the crowds. The venue was full of people, and even people were waiting outside. These were not low-budget meals; they were made with quality ingredients and were packaged beautifully.
There’s a difference between participating in a contest and delivering excellence. What Hilda achieved was nothing short of excellence. She had her eyes on something bigger than just breaking a record. It wasn’t luck or favour; it was hard work and a well-executed plan which took her five years to accomplish.
Michael Ogueke stated that Excellence is not a matter of luck. The difference between ordinary plantain chips and high-quality packaged ones is the packaging, which costs money. Some of us believe in doing things excellently, and we invest heavily in it.
Ogueke pointed out that this is Hilda’s hard-earned money, not yours. If you haven’t done what she did, feeding over 3000 people for four days and gaining much attention, you have no right to criticize. If you haven’t spent that much on a course before, that’s understandable, but people are spending even more to achieve their dreams in Nigeria, like those who spend millions on weddings that we never even hear about. He urged the people not to underestimate the value of 80 million for such an ambitious project.
I was there, and I ate twice; I also drank water twice without me paying a dime. That money is big to you, but it’s nothing to a person eager to achieve something big and ready to give it all it takes.
