Guinness Record Holder Tunde Onakoya to Host Chess Tournament for Displaced Borno Children

Guinness Record Holder Tunde Onakoya to Host Chess Tournament for Displaced Borno Children

Tunde Onakoya, the Guinness World Record holder for the longest marathon chess game, has announced plans to organize a chess tournament for children living in displaced persons camps in Maiduguri.

During a three-day visit to Borno, Onakoya promoted the game of chess among children in partnership with the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) and the NAF Officers Mess Maiduguri Chess Club. As the founder of “Chess in Slums in Africa,” an initiative that helps children in underserved areas, Onakoya expressed his intention to replicate the success of his Lagos project in Borno.

Onakoya visited two camps in Maiduguri, where he coached and played chess with the children. He praised their intelligence and engagement with the game, expressing optimism about their potential. He noted that the upcoming chess tournament would symbolize the importance of his mission to cultivate a new generation of thinkers.

He also called on the government to integrate chess into school curriculums, citing its ability to nurture critical thinking and problem-solving skills.

Reflecting on his first visit to northern Nigeria, Onakoya said he was grateful for the opportunity to use chess as a tool to empower vulnerable children, with support from the Nigerian Air Force.

Air Commodore C.O. Olayera, Commander of the 105 Composite Group at the NAF Maiduguri Base, commended Onakoya for his efforts to promote chess in the region. Olayera, who also serves as the patron of the NAF Officers Mess Chess Club, assured Onakoya of their continued collaboration to reach more children in Borno.

“We have successfully achieved the objective of your visit to Borno,” Olayera stated.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that during his visit, Onakoya conducted chess training sessions and interactive games with children from the camps, local schools, and members of the NAF Officers Mess Chess Club.