Baci insists the expansion won't come with the cuisine getting softened for new markets. She defends dishes built on ingredients like locust beans even when they clash with unfamiliar palates. "I'm not going not to put locust beans inside my ofada rice because it smells so strong," she said.

Ozoz Sokoh, a Nigerian culinary anthropologist, backs the ambition, calling it "more than realistic." Sokoh points to Nigeria's population, now 242 million, its large diaspora, and the reach of social media as forces that could carry Nigerian food further than past generations managed. She also traces food lineages that already cross borders, citing akara, the bean fritter found in various forms across the Black Atlantic, as evidence the groundwork predates any single restaurateur's push.

Sokoh cites a marker of recent momentum: Adejoké Bakare became the UK's first Black female chef to receive a Michelin star in 2024. For Sokoh, that success sits alongside the structural work still needed. She argues that matching Chinese cuisine's global footprint requires Nigeria to settle on a clearer national food identity, build stronger agricultural supply chains, and get government backing for food festivals and culinary education.