President Bola Tinubu has praised Tunde Onakoya, a very skilled chess player, for achieving a new world chess record.
Tinubu expressed gratitude to Onakoya for demonstrating Nigeria's strength, self-confidence, and cleverness on the global stage.
The President’s Spokesperson, Ajuri Ngelale, released a statement on Saturday on behalf of the Presidency.
The official statement is named ‘President Tinubu congratulates Tunde Onakoya on new world chess record.’
Onakoya set a new Guinness World Record for the longest chess marathon on Saturday, playing for over 58 hours without being defeated.
During the event at New York’s Times Square, Onakoya surpassed the record set by Norwegian players Hallvard Haug Flatebø and Sjur Ferkingstad in 2018.
The President celebrated the Nigerian Chess Champion and founder of Chess in Slums Africa for the rare achievement, especially for “supporting this remarkable demonstration of character, raising funds for African children to learn and discover opportunities through chess,” according to the statement.
Tinubu stated that Mr. Onakoya has shown a pattern common among Nigeria’s young people, “the courage to bring about positive change, to defy impossibility, and drive innovations and solutions to the country’s challenges, even from disadvantaged positions.”
The President confirmed that Nigeria’s young people have proven in various fields, such as Afrobeats, Nollywood, the vibrant skit-making industry, education, and science and technology, that significant achievements can indeed come from humble beginnings.
He praised Nigerians’ inclination for unity, demonstrated once again through their unwavering support for this historic endeavor, crossing artificial divides.
The President reassured all citizens that his government is strongly dedicated to creating and expanding opportunities for young people to explore and utilize their talents, becoming the symbols of greatness that our nation embodies in the future.
