Chess champion and founder of Chess in Slums Africa, Tunde Onakoya, has responded to criticism over his recent visit to President Bola Tinubu, clarifying that the meeting was not a political endorsement but part of his broader mission to uplift underprivileged children through education and cognitive development.
Onakoya, who recently became a Guinness World Record holder for the longest chess marathon and was honoured by the City of New York, issued a detailed statement on Wednesday on his X account.
In it, he emphasised that receiving recognition from Nigeria’s highest office should not be equated with political alignment.
“I’ll say a few things. The anger, the hate, the love, the applause, the criticism – all of it is valid and I embrace it. I am a world record holder, which means I have attained something no one else in the world has ever done. I was recently honoured and awarded by the City of New York,” he wrote.
“I have declined many awards. Comparing me to people who have received awards and recognition from countries that have committed war crimes is, at best, laughable.
“I have no interest in partisan politics because of the sensitivity of the work that I do. If that ever changes, then I would resign my role as CEO of Chess in Slums Africa.”
Onakoya addressed claims that his organisation thrives solely due to bad governance, rejecting such rhetoric as misguided. He explained that Chess in Slums Africa is not a charity but a movement using chess as a powerful tool for education and empowerment.
“The rhetoric that Chess in Slums only exists or is relevant because of bad governance is not accurate. The real impact of our work is in the synapses. We’re using chess as a tool to teach cognition and improve academic outcomes. Using it as a social intervention tool is because those children have fallen through the cracks and cannot make it to the classrooms. This is not charity or ‘NGO’,” he wrote.
“What most of you measure as the most tangible impact is us just dignifying the stories of the children you see all the time on the streets but pay no attention to. The real impact here is ensuring they have the critical capacity to think for themselves and putting them through formal or vocational education.
“Again, I embrace the love and the hate. But I care for none of it. In a decade or two, the Chess/STEM institute will stand, and it will be a place where thousands of children will dream again and be educated in a way that makes them valuable to the world. All the strong opinions we have now will fall flat in the face of this.”
He also revealed that Chess in Slums Africa has operated for seven years without receiving international grants, relying instead on community-driven support and partnerships. Among these is a collaboration with the Lagos State Government to rehabilitate street children in areas such as Jakande and Isale Eko.
“Finally, I appreciate everyone who has ever supported the incredible work we’ve done in the last seven years. We have never applied for or received any international grants in this time,” he said.
“We’ve been working with the Lagos State Government for about a year now to take kids from Jakande and Isale Eko off the streets. One of them recently graduated from furniture school and is living again. Our collective hurt is valid and we may disagree on politics, but there are actual lives at stake and we all have a role to play, in whatever capacity, to stop this haemorrhage. Yes, we will partner with the government to scale this impact and institutionalise it so Tunde stops being the hero of the story. It’s your tax, anyway.”
Onakoya urged critics to judge him by his decade-long track record of service and not social media perception, stressing that appearances alongside public figures should not be conflated with political support.
“Finally, I’d say this: my fight is different. I’m not on the fence. I took a stand ten years ago for the country I want to see.
“The truth is, I will do many more things that may challenge your perception of me, but I know my heart is in the right place and whatever rooms my vision gives me access to, I will put the dreams and needs of the children first. I live for the audience of one, and that is enough.”
Tunde Onakoya made headlines in April when he played chess continuously for over 58 hours in New York City’s Times Square, setting a new Guinness World Record for the longest chess marathon.
His initiative, Chess in Slums Africa, has garnered international acclaim for using the game to educate and empower disadvantaged children across Nigeria.
