By Annette Ikponmwonba | September 17, 2026
Key Points
· Akwa Ibom Governor Umo Eno has commended chef Hilda Baci for her Guinness World Record breaking achievements
· Eno received Baci at the Government House in Uyo, praising her bold spirit and the honour she has brought to the state
· Baci, an Akwa Ibom indigene, praised the state’s infrastructural development, peaceful atmosphere and investment opportunities under Eno’s administration
· She specifically highlighted the world class facilities at the Victor Attah International Airport
· Baci pledged to partner with stakeholders to support the state’s development and urged tourists and investors to visit
· She called on Akwa Ibom people to continue promoting love, unity and peace to attract sustainable development
Main Story
Akwa Ibom State Governor, Pastor Umo Eno, has hailed Nigerian chef and Guinness World Record holder, Hilda Baci, for her daring spirit and record breaking achievements, which he said have brought honour to the state. Eno gave the commendation on Wednesday when he received the Akwa Ibom born celebrity chef at the Government House in Uyo, the state capital.
The governor described Baci’s success story as proof that determination and courage can enable individuals to break barriers and achieve remarkable feats. “I want to specially commend our very own, Hilda Baci, for her bold and adventurous spirit, which has contributed to her world record breaking achievements and have brought honour to the State,” he said.
In her remarks, Baci described Akwa Ibom as amazingly beautiful, applauding the pace of infrastructural development, the peaceful atmosphere and investment opportunities under the Eno administration. She expressed particular delight at the facilities available at the Victor Attah International Airport, describing them as first rate and impressive.
The Issues
The exchange reflects a broader pattern of Nigerian state governments leveraging the achievements of prominent indigenes to promote state branding and investment appeal. Baci’s global recognition through her Guinness World Record has made her a valuable ambassador for Akwa Ibom, and the governor’s public reception of her appears calculated to reinforce that association while also showcasing the administration’s development achievements to a wider audience.
For Baci’s part, her comments went beyond simple gratitude toward the governor, extending into a broader pitch for tourism and investment in the state. This positions her not just as a returning celebrity being honoured, but as an active participant in promoting Akwa Ibom’s economic and tourism potential, a role that could carry real weight given her global profile and reach.
There is also an underlying theme in her remarks about the importance of local governance visibility, since her praise for infrastructure such as the airport and general development pace effectively serves as a public endorsement of the current administration’s policy direction, whether intentional or not.
What’s Being Said
Eno used the occasion to publicly credit Baci’s achievements as a source of state pride, urging her to continue flying the state’s flag high and reinforcing his message about determination and courage as pathways to breaking barriers, Baci, in turn, offered extensive praise for the governor’s leadership style and vision, crediting him directly for the state’s current state of development. She also spoke warmly about the character of Akwa Ibom people, describing them as hospitable and industrious, and pledged to work with relevant stakeholders to further support the state’s development agenda.
She closed her remarks with a direct appeal to tourists and investors, describing Akwa Ibom as a state worth visiting to explore its environmental, recreational, hospitality and other investment opportunities, while also encouraging residents to continue promoting love, unity and peace as a foundation for sustainable development.
What’s Next
It remains to be seen whether Baci’s pledge to partner with stakeholders translates into any concrete initiatives or programmes tied to tourism promotion or investment attraction for the state, Attention may also turn to how the Akwa Ibom State Government continues to leverage prominent indigenes like Baci for broader state branding efforts, particularly as the administration continues to promote its infrastructural and developmental achievements to both local and international audiences.
Bottom Line
The governor’s reception of Hilda Baci reflects a deliberate effort to align her global recognition with the state’s development narrative, while her enthusiastic endorsement of Akwa Ibom’s infrastructure and investment climate effectively turns a courtesy visit into an informal promotional platform for the state.
