The meeting was disclosed via a post on the President’s official X (formerly Twitter) handle, where Tinubu praised Onakoya for his groundbreaking work with underprivileged children and his use of chess to promote education and personal development in underserved communities.
“Tunde’s journey, from the streets of Lagos to uplifting underserved children and breaking world records, reflects the resilience and brilliance of Nigeria’s youth,” Tinubu wrote.
Onakoya, alongside U.S. chess player Shawn Martinez, set the new world record by playing chess continuously for 64 hours in New York City, surpassing the previous mark of 60 hours — a record he had initially set before it was broken by a Norwegian pair in 2024.
President Tinubu lauded the global recognition and expressed interest in expanding Onakoya’s initiative across Nigeria.
