In the deepest part of Nigeria’s most difficult slums, where opportunities are rarely found and dreams are often forgotten, there stood one man who was proving to the world that even the smallest pawn can rise to greatness. Tunde Onakoya, a couch, chess master, social entrepreneur, and philanthropist is using chess to rewrite the destinies of little less privileged children.
Onakoya has through his many initiatives, especially Chess in Slums Africa (CSIA) created pathways for kids in the slum to have easy access to much-needed life essentials such as education, mentorship, and a brighter future.
Who is Tunde Onakoya?
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Tunde Onakoya was born on October 6, 1994, in Ikorodu, Lagos, and grew up in a community where access to quality education was a luxury affordable to only a privileged few. His journey into the world of chess, the game that changed his life, started unexpectedly when he stumbled upon the game in a nearby local barbershop.
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Regardless of the financial struggles facing them, his mother who was determined to secure a brighter future for her son worked as a cleaner in a nearby school in exchange for his tuition fees. Luckily all her hard work paid off as little Tunde not only excelled academically but also went ahead to become one of Nigeria’s top chess players.
Aside from his success, Onakoya saw the potential in the chess game to transform lives. Armed with this vision, he decided to shift his talent from competition to empowerment, thus using the game of chess to change lives and break the cycle of poverty in underserved African communities.
Tunde Onakoya: The birth of Chess in Slums African
Founded by Tunde Onakoya in 2018, Chess in Slums Africa is a non-profit Initiative that is designed to empower young children through the chest in the poorest Nigerian communities. His firm belief is that by teaching children chess, he would properly instill in them traits such as critical thinking, problem-solving skills, discipline, and confidence which would help them to navigate life’s challenges seamlessly.
The initiative started in Majidun, Ikorodu, with just a handful of children. However, it quickly expanded to other slum communities like Makoko, Oshodi, and beyond. By June 2021, CISA had trained over 200 children and secured lifelong scholarships for 20 of them.
One of the most inspiring success stories is Ferdinand, a 10-year-old boy with cerebral palsy who not only learned chess but went on to win a local tournament in Makoko. His achievement earned him the chance to compete against Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu. Stories like Ferdinand reinforce Tunde’s belief that intelligence is evenly distributed, but opportunities are not.
The harsh realities of life in Nigeria’s slum
Life in slums like Makoko, often called the “Venice of Africa,” is riddled with extreme poverty, lack of basic education, poor living conditions, and limited access to healthcare. Many children face malnutrition, preventable diseases, and high dropout rates due to financial hardships.
The tragic loss of Mathew, a young student in Makoko who died in December 2023 from a preventable illness, highlighted the urgent need for healthcare in these communities.
How Chess Transforms Lives
Chess teaches more than just strategy, it cultivates discipline, resilience, and problem-solving skills, helping children develop a growth mindset. Chess is helping to improve cognitive and emotional growth while opening up other educational and scholarship opportunities for young children.
For some of the children like Jamiu Ninilowo, a 14-year mechanic who had to drop out of school because of lack of funds, Chess in Slum Africa has not just aided in his return to school but also helped opened more opportunities to further his education while honing his chess master skill thereby serving as a gateway to education, mentorship and hope for him.
Expanding the movement
Chess in Slums Africa has grown beyond Nigeria ever since its inception, gaining International recognition. Some of its major achievements so far include securing a partnership with Chess.com in 2020 to launch a campaign that raised $50,000 for chess education across Africa, hosting tournaments with other top chess commentators to raise funds and awareness for the organization while expanding its footprint to other countries as a global empowerment tool.
Chess in Slums Africa’s future
With the vision to scale Chess in Slums Africa beyond Nigeria to reach many more underprivileged children and communities across Africa, Tunde Onakoya’s philosophy remains very simple.
“A pawn, when given the right opportunities, can become a queen.”
Onakoya hopes that through this initiative, he can provide kids in the slum with mentorship, formal education, and healthcare while impacting them with strategic thinking skills necessary to hone their talent. According to his recent comment, Onakoya does not just wish to teach these children how to play a chess game, he aims to teach them the intricacies of navigating life’s challenges with confidence.
How you too can support Chess in Slums Africa
As well known, creating lasting change is an endeavor that requires a collective effort, and such as the organization is calling well well-meaning individuals and firms to extend help in pushing the Chess in Slums Africa to greater heights. To add your weight to creating a better future for the children, you can make donations, lend a helping hand through volunteering, partnering with the initiative, or spreading the word as every mention will help to amplify the organization’s reach.
A salute to Tunde Onakoya
His journey from a struggling child in Ikorodu to the world record-holding chess master and social entrepreneur serves as proof of Onakoya’s resilient power, education as well as community support. Through his chess, he has proven also that talent is universal while opportunities are not, Onakoya is also bridging the wide gap between potential and actual success for countless children across Africa.
Not everyone will get the opportunity to make history in Times Square but his story is a sure testament that with hard work, determination, and the right kind of push, your dreams can be chased and achieved from anywhere around the world.
For every child in the slums who dares to dream, Onakoya’s story will always stand as a beacon of hope, and for that, Tunde Onakoya deserves a million and one salute for his incredible work.