Top 10 successful chefs in Nigeria
Daniel Johnston
Updated on April 07, 2026
The Guinness Book of World Records cook-a-thon mania has hit Nigerians following the recent award and recognition given to chef Hilda Baci for the longest cooking for an individual. Not to be outdone, another Nigerian chef, Damilola Adeparusi, popularly known as Chef Dammy, reportedly cooked for 120 hours to beat Hilda’s 93 hours, 11 minutes record.
Food is one of the many things Nigeria is known for. There are diverse delicacies all over the country, thanks to the diverse ethnic groups and cultures. Nigerian delicacies are also gaining global attention. This can be credited to the top successful chefs in Nigeria.
This piece, therefore, profiles the top 10 successful chefs in Nigeria.
Table of Content hide 1Top 10 successful chefs in Nigeria 1.110. Chef Hilda Baci 1.29. Chef Obehi 1.38. Chef Abiola Akanji 1.47. Chef Ozoz Sokoh 1.56. Chef Tomi Makanjuola 1.65. Chef Muse 1.74. Chef Chi 1.83. Chef Alex Oke 1.92. Chef Eros 1.101. Chef FregsTop 10 successful chefs in Nigeria
10. Chef Hilda Baci
Hilda Baci has entered our list of successful chefs in Nigeria following her remarkable achievement to break a five-year record of the longest cooking marathon by an individual, with a time of 93 hours and 11 minutes. Hilda Effiong Bassey, better known as Hilda Baci, broke the previous record of 87 hours 45 minutes set by Lata Tondon (India) in 2019.
The Akwa Ibom-born chef grew up in the kitchen as her mother owned a restaurant. Inspired by her mother’s culinary skills, Hilda Baci established her own cooking business, My Food By Hilda, a restaurant and delivery service that specialises in Nigerian and continental dishes. She established the business alongside her brother in 2020.
Before breaking the famous record, Hilda Baci served as Lunch Division Manager at Breaking King, a breakfast food company. She made her debut on Rave TV’s breakfast show, Morning Rave, hosting the cooking segment, titled: In My Kitchen. The 26-year-old also served as the host of Dine on A Budget on Pop Central TV where she engaged celebrities in discussions on relevant topics while treating them to a delightful dining experience.
Hilda Baci also revealed that doing a cook-a-thon was her way of promoting her business and brand. From all indications, she is on the right path and the sky is simply her springboard.
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9. Chef Obehi
Chef Obehi Ekhomu-El Herfi, popularly known as Chef Obehi, is an international chef with valuable experience in cooking different delicacies from countries worldwide. Her brand, ONA Restaurant, is known for transforming regular staple ingredients in Nigerian diets into delicious delicacies. Obehi’s signature dish is snails, earning her the name, Queen of Snails.
8. Chef Abiola Akanji
Chef Abiola Akanji, popularly known as Chef Stone, is a Nigerian celebrity chef, author and online media personality. He is one of Nigeria’s top celebrity chefs and has taught masterclasses at the GT Bank Food & Drink Fair. Also, Chef Akanji makes regular appearances as a guest judge on cooking competitions such as Oando ‘Teens Can Cook’.
Chef Stone studied in London, majoring in business management at the London Metropolitan University. He also worked in several restaurants where he picked up valuable culinary skills. The 1983-born Nigerian chef even went as far as enrolling in the French Culinary Institute in New York, where he was professionally trained as a Chef. He later founded the Red Dish Chronicles culinary school, Truck Central and West Africa’s First Food Truck Park, making him an icon of food and entrepreneurship.
7. Chef Ozoz Sokoh
Chef Ozoz Sokoh, popularly known as the ‘Kitchen Butterfly’, is a self-proclaimed “traveller by lens and plate”. She is a writer and food explorer who has been documenting African cuisine over the last couple of years. Chef Sokoh founded The New Nigerian Kitchen – a platform which celebrates Nigerian cuisine by reinventing and representing Nigerian food, unearthing history, sharing techniques and using old ingredients in new ways. The brand also focuses on in-season produce- with hopes that it will inspire other chefs to be more innovative and push the dining/restaurant sector in Nigeria to grow.
Chef Sokoh is mostly known for reinventing ancient Nigerian recipes into modern-day delicacies to preserve our culture and traditions.
6. Chef Tomi Makanjuola
Nigeria-born chef, Tomi Makanjuola, is a writer and food blogger. She is also known for establishing The Vegan Nigerian – a space for foodies seeking culinary adventure to experience the food and culture of Nigeria with a vegan twist. The brand also shares a range of vegan menus created either by ‘veganising’ traditional meals or using well-known Nigerian ingredients in new and innovative ways. Makanjuola’s recipes showcase the colourful flavours of traditional and contemporary Nigerian food which reflects her passion for Nigerian food. Some of her recipes have been featured on BBC and One Green Planet, an online platform.
5. Chef Muse
Muneera Tahir, popularly known as Chef Muse, began her cooking career in her grandmother’s kitchen. She later attended a culinary school where she honed her skills. Tahir worked as a chef at L’italiano Restaurant and quickly rose to become the head chef there. In 2018, she returned to Nigeria to teach a Masterclass at the GTbank Food & Drinks Fair. She currently teaches professional chefs in Abuja.
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4. Chef Chi
Chef Chioma Rowland is a well-known name in Nigeria. She is known as the wife of Nigerian singer and producer, David Adeleke, popularly known as Davido. She is also known as the mother of Davido’s late son, Ifeanyi Adeleke. Chef Chioma is popular for her culinary skills as a Nigerian chef and influencer. She often displays her amazing delicacies on social media, which has earned her endorsement deals from big brands in Nigeria.
3. Chef Alex Oke
Chef Alex Oke is a Nigerian-Russian chef who is currently based in Lagos. He specialises in bread, pastry and confections. His skills also include both classical and contemporary French cuisine, having gained his cookery arts from the Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts in Vancouver, Canada.
Chef Alex Oke is the owner of XO Boutique Bakery and an instructor at the Culinary Academy in Lagos. He draws inspiration from local and seasonal produce in which he creates a fusion of Nigerian, European and Asian dishes which he calls, “gentrified Nigerian food”.
2. Chef Eros
Tolu Erogbogbo, popularly known as Chef Eros, is the founder of Cookies Jar Bakeries, He is also the current Chief Executive at Chef Eros and Gourmet Foods. Chef Eros has a knack for combining dishing food and business. His restaurant specialises in cakes and pastries for all events. In 2018, he was named the first brand ambassador for Shoprite Nigeria.
This self-taught chef began his culinary journey by selling chicken seasoned with spices to his fellow students whilst studying towards a bachelor’s degree in International Business Management. Since then, he has become one of Africa’s best chefs and mentored young and prospective chefs at the GT Bank Food and Drink Fair.
1. Chef Fregs
Fregene Gbubemi, popularly known as Chef Fregs, is a household name as far as the Nigerian culinary/dining sector is concerned. Gbugbemi was born in Benin City, Edo State. He attended Olashore School in Osun City before studying at Covenant University. He graduated in 2008 with a bachelor’s degree in Industrial Relations and Human Management. Chef Fregs has been ranked as the best chef in Nigeria and he is reputed for combining both French and Nigerian cuisines.
His passion for food led him to study at Le Cordon Bleu Culinary Institute in Paris to further master the art of cooking. He began his culinary career by selling suya. His creativity in the kitchen has been widely recognised nationwide and beyond and he has engaged in popular cooking shows and bagged lucrative endorsement deals.
