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Renowned Nigerian chess champion and social impact advocate, Tunde Onakoya, recently paid a courtesy visit to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, following his globally recognized chess marathon in New York.
In April 2025, Onakoya made headlines after he and American chess player Shawn Martinez set a Guinness World Record by playing chess non-stop for 64 hours in Times Square. The historic feat, achieved between April 17 and 20, earned him global acclaim and highlighted his commitment to using chess as a tool for social change.
Sharing photos from their meeting on Monday via his X page, Atiku praised Onakoya’s decade-long dedication to uplifting underprivileged children through his Chess in Slums Africa initiative.
“I had a great time meeting with Tunde Onakoya,” Atiku wrote. “He shared with me the inspiring journey he’s been on for the past ten years, using chess as a powerful tool to transform the lives of children in slum communities.”
The former Vice President commended Onakoya’s efforts in empowering children by giving them access to quality education—both locally and abroad—through chess, which he said fosters critical thinking and opportunity.
Atiku also revealed that Onakoya outlined his ambitious plan to establish the world’s largest chess institute. Recalling a quote from their discussion, he said Onakoya noted that “Talent is universal, but opportunity is not.”
Moved by the vision, Atiku pledged his full support to help bring the dream to life. He also expressed admiration for a specially designed chessboard Onakoya presented to him, adorned with traditional Adire fabric patterns, calling it a “work of art.”
The chess master also extended a personal invitation to Atiku for his upcoming birthday celebration later this year.
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I had a great time meeting with Tunde Onakoya, @Tunde_OD. He shared with me the inspiring journey he’s been on for the past ten years, using chess as a powerful tool to transform the lives of children in slum communities. Through his work, he’s helped many of them out of the… pic.twitter.com/n8GZZwpev9
— Atiku Abubakar (@atiku) May 26, 2025
#TundeOnakoya
#AtikuAbubakar
#ChessInSlum
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