Tunde Onakoya Meets President Tinubu, Presents Guinness World Record Certificate

On Monday night, Tunde Onakoya, the renowned Nigerian chess player and founder of Chess in Slums Africa, met with President Bola Tinubu to present his Guinness World Record certificate for the longest chess marathon.

The meeting was shared on Tinubu’s official X handle, where he praised Onakoya’s work in empowering underserved children through chess, fostering education and development.

Tinubu highlighted Onakoya’s journey from Lagos to global recognition, noting his resilience and impact on overlooked communities.

He expressed enthusiasm for scaling Onakoya’s initiative nationwide and invited him to Abuja to discuss government support, aligning his vision with the administration’s goal of ensuring no child or talent is left behind.

Onakoya, with American chess player Shawn Martinez, set the record by playing chess for 64 hours in New York City, surpassing his previous 60-hour record, which had been briefly overtaken by a Norwegian duo in 2024.