By Emmanuel Dominic 
Chess Maestro Tunde Onakoya Meets Atiku Abubakar
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar recently met with Nigerian chess master and founder of Chess in Slums Africa, Tunde Onakoya, in Abuja. The meeting highlighted Onakoya’s decade-long mission to empower children in underprivileged communities through chess education.
Atiku expressed admiration for Onakoya’s achievements, particularly his recent Guinness World Record for the longest chess marathon—playing for 64 hours in New York City’s Times Square. He praised Onakoya’s dedication to transforming lives by using chess as a tool to teach critical thinking and provide educational opportunities to children in slum areas. During their conversation, Onakoya shared his vision of establishing the world’s largest chess institute in Nigeria. Atiku pledged his support for this initiative, emphasizing the importance of creating opportunities for talented individuals regardless of their background.
As a token of appreciation, Onakoya presented Atiku with a custom-made chessboard adorned with traditional Adire patterns, symbolizing the fusion of cultural heritage and intellectual pursuit. He also extended an invitation to Atiku for his upcoming birthday celebration, which aims to further bridge opportunity gaps for Nigerian youth.
This meeting underscores the potential of initiatives like Chess in Slums Africa to drive social change and the importance of support from leaders to amplify their impact.
