Tunde Onakoya, Chess world record holder, has responded to criticism following his meeting with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The encounter with Tinubu spurred a spectrum of public opinion, as many netizens accused him of aligning with Tinubu, who, in their opinion, is pushing many Nigerians into poverty and unprecedented hardship.
Onakoya clarified his intentions in a post on X, stating that meeting Tinubu didn’t imply endorsement. “A visit isn’t an endorsement,” he wrote. “I’ll visit many more people and sell my chess boards.”
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Onakoya emphasized his commitment to children in Nigeria’s slums through Chess in Slums Africa, distancing himself from partisan politics. Speaking further, he added that he will continue to partner with the government to impact the lives of the beneficiaries of the Chess in Slums initiative.
He also highlighted the impact of his work, saying, “The real impact is in the synapses. We’re using chess to teach cognition and improve academic outcomes.”
Onakoya plans to continue partnering with the government to scale his initiative’s impact. “We’ll partner with the government to institutionalize it,” he said. “It’s your tax anyway.” He concluded, “My fight is different. I took a stand ten years ago for the country I want to see.”
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