The endorsement came during a private meeting in Ikoyi, Lagos, where the President received Tunde Onakoya, the project’s founder and recent Guinness World Record holder for the longest marathon chess session.

Praising Onakoya’s rise from modest beginnings to global acclaim, President Tinubu described his efforts as “a clear example of how untapped talent in overlooked communities can be nurtured into global excellence.”

He emphasized the administration’s commitment to ensuring that no talent is ignored, noting that the government is ready to collaborate with Onakoya to replicate the initiative nationwide.

“I am eager to see how this can be scaled across the country,” the President said. “We are ready to work with you. Your story is an inspiration, and Nigeria stands with you.”

The initiative, already active in underserved areas such as Makoko, Majidun, and Oshodi in Lagos, uses chess to foster cognitive skills, discipline, and confidence among children. It has gained recognition both locally and internationally for its ability to empower disadvantaged youth through a non-traditional educational path.

Onakoya, known for using chess as a vehicle for social impact, explained that the initiative aims to connect education and opportunity in communities often left out of mainstream development plans. His recent achievement—breaking the world record for a continuous chess match—has only elevated the visibility of the project.

President Tinubu’s endorsement, which aligns with his Renewed Hope Agenda focused on inclusion and empowerment, is expected to boost the reach of Chess in Slums Africa and attract broader institutional backing.

Observers see this development as a positive step toward incorporating citizen-led solutions into national policy discussions on youth development, education, and poverty reduction.

The post Tinubu Backs Chess in Slums Project, Pledges Federal Support appeared first on Housing TV Africa.

Onakoya teamed up with US chess master Shawn Martinez in Times Square, New York to set a new world record of 58 hours which approaches a long awaited conclusion.

The current record stands at 56 hours and 9 minutes.

With his non-profit, Chess in Slums Africa and The Gift of Chess, Onakoya is using the world record attempt to fundraise $1 million to support undeprivileged children across African communities with access to basic education.

“Huge news.. We just received [$]5,000 from GoldmanSachs,” wrote The Gift of Chess on X.Related News

With the donation, Onakoya has been able to raise over $62,000.

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His chess games are live-streamed on Tittify and Twitch and have achieved over 500 concurrent viewers.

So far, he has gone over 180 games unbeaten.

During this time, the 29 year old chess master has received support from millions of Nigerians at home and in New York City who continue to cheer him on.

However, his world record time of 58 hours could see an extension to compensate for the permitted 5-minute breaks observed during the chess-a-thon every hour, and a location interruption that forced movement of his setup.

Source: Businessday

The post Goldman Sachs donates $5000 to Tunde Onakoya’s fundraiser appeared first on Housing TV Africa.