Tunde Onakoya is a Nigerian chess master and coach. He is the founder of Chess in Slums Africa. He has organised several interventions for kids in Lagos slums, such as Majidun (Ikorodu), Makoko, and most recently Oshodi. The kids participate in a two-week programme that aims to help them read, write, and develop fundamental literacy skills while also chess-teaching them how to reach their full potential.
Biography
He was born on October 6, 1994. His full name is Babatunde Onakoya.
Onakoya has experienced suffering before. His parents, a spare parts dealer and a petty trader, prevented him from enrolling in secondary school on time because they could not afford to pay the tuition. He was born in Isale Odo, Ikorodu. Onakoya swiftly learned how to play Play Station 1 at a barbershop where a chess player also worked, while his peers were being promoted to Junior Secondary School 2.
During one of his visits, he played chess for the first time. He was always fascinated. Onakoya was learning new skills with each game the barber and the other players played without being taught.
His mother offered to work as a housekeeper for a school in return for his tuition because she could not pay for his secondary education. Later, he would be listed as Nigeria’s number 13 chess player.
At Yaba College of Technology, where he earned a diploma in computer technology, he won a gold medal for his school while competing in the Nigeria Polytechnic Games and the RCCG Chess Championship. Additionally, he has triumphed in the Chevron Chess Open and the National Friends of Chess.
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Tunde Onakoya Chess in Slums Africa
Chess in Slums Africa, a non-profit organisation founded in September 2018, is dedicated to empowering young people in underprivileged communities via the game of chess.
In September 2020, Chess in Slums teamed with Chess.com to offer educational resources for parents, chess clubs, and classrooms.
Chess in Slums had trained over 200 kids as of June 2021, and 20 had received lifetime scholarships.
Ferdinand, a 10-year-old kid with cerebral palsy, took first place at the Makoko Chess Tournament in May 2021. This attracted not only the attention of the general public but also that of Babajide Sanwo-Olu, the Governor of Lagos State, who summoned Ferdinand to a game and gave him a present of N1 million for his well-being.
Soon after, Tunde held another tournament for underprivileged kids living beneath the Oshodi bridge. Fawaz Adeoye, an 18-year-old bus driver, won the event, putting him in the public eye and earning him a donation of more than N2 million.
Tunde Onakoya was well-known for selecting children off the street, improving their welfare, and meeting their basic requirements before these most recent successes.
His goal is to expand this to as many slums as he can reach and offer creative solutions using chess. There is no going back for him.
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Age
Tunde Onakoya was born on October 6, 1994. He will be 28 years old this year.
Net worth
The chess master has a net worth estimated at N332 million ($800,000).
Family
Tunde was born into the family of Mr and Mrs Onakoya. His father was a spare parts seller, while his mother was a petty trader. He has one younger brother.
The well-known chess hero is dating digital artist and lifestyle blogger Alma Asinobi, who recently took the opportunity to thank him for everything and to reaffirm her love for him on Twitter.
Awards
Tunde Onakoya has received several awards and recognition for his works. In 2022, he won the Future Awards for Community Action.
Conclusion
The beneficiaries’ lives have been altered, even though Nigerians and others worldwide are only now learning about Onakoya and Chess in Slums. It has been a turning point in the lives of the kids, both boys and girls. The notion that arming themselves and leading a hard life are their sole chances of survival may be crumbling for the first time in their lives.
He asks himself pertinent questions like, “Who do you want to be when you grow up?” “Would you like to be the kind of person that leaves a legacy of compassion that opens doors for others who might not otherwise have the opportunity you did?” He claims that he has always made decisions based on these inquiries. In addition, he said that he wanted to be remembered as the person who demonstrated that it is possible to do great things from humble beginnings and for shedding light on the issues that matter.
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