Nigeria's President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has applauded chess master and coach Tunde Onakoya for setting a new world chess record.
Tinubu appreciated Onakoya for sounding the gong of Nigeria’s perseverance, self-reliance, and creativity at the square of global acclaim.
The Presidency noted this in a press statement signed by the President’s Spokesperson, Ajuri Ngelale, on Saturday.
Onakoya broke the Guinness World Record for the longest chess marathon on Saturday, April 20, 2024, after playing for about 58 hours undefeated.
President Tinubu celebrated the Nigerian chess master and founder of Chess in Slums Africa for the rare feat, but specifically “for the reason driving this captivating proof of character, which is fundraising for African children to learn and find golden opportunity through chess,” said the statement.
Tinubu affirmed that Onakoya has shown a streak customary among Nigeria’s youth population: “the boldness to make good change happen, to baffle impossibility, and propel changes and solutions to the nation’s problems, even from corners of disadvantage.”
The President affirmed that Nigeria’s youngsters have shown in all fields, including Nollywood, Afrobeats, the pulsating skit-making enterprise, education, science, and technology, that substantial exploits can honestly come from small quarters.
He lauded the disposition of Nigerians—across artificial partitions—for unity, once again exemplified through their undiluted assistance in the epoch-making endeavour.
Tinubu also promised all citizens that his government remains strongly dedicated to creating and expanding opportunities for the youth to explore and exercise their abilities and become the symbols of greatness our nation represents in the future.
