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On April 2nd, 2025, a moment of powerful symbolism and quiet revolution unfolded at the United Nations Headquarters in New York City. Standing tall before an audience of diplomats, global leaders, and sporting icons, Nigerian chess master and social innovator Tunde Onakoya delivered a keynote address that would echo far beyond the walls of the assembly. For the founder of Chess in Slums Africa, this wasn’t just a speech—it was the fulfillment of a purpose forged in the streets of Lagos.
For Onakoya, it was a first: his debut as a special guest at a United Nations conference, delivering the opening remarks at the 2025 United Nations Games. Sharing the stage with legendary figures like Manny Pacquiao and Giorgio Chiellini might have felt intimidating, but it was also a moment of clarity. “I felt a wave of nerves and doubt,” he admitted, “but as I stepped into the conference room, a quiet truth anchored me: I belonged here. Not despite my journey, but because of it.”
That journey—one that started with teaching chess to underserved children in Lagos slums—has grown into a global movement. Through Chess in Slums Africa, Onakoya has reimagined what the game of chess can represent. It’s no longer just a pastime. It’s a passport to dignity, confidence, and opportunity. His initiative empowers children living in extreme poverty by using chess as a bridge to education and self-worth. In many cases, these are children who had never stepped foot in a classroom before their encounter with the 64 squares of possibility.
“I spoke about the universal language of chess,” Onakoya shared in a heartfelt reflection after the event. “How it transcends borders, race, class, and even disability.” But more than that, he spoke about belonging—a theme that has guided every lesson, every tournament, every breakthrough moment for the children he mentors. Through Chess in Slums and The Gift of Chess, Onakoya and his team are proving that brilliance exists everywhere—it just needs the right conditions to shine.
What made April 2nd even more moving was who stood beside him. Onakoya flew in from Atlanta with his friend Russ and a group of children from the program. After racing through New York City traffic, they made it just in time for his speech. But the moment didn’t belong to him alone. As he closed his address, he invited the children onto the stage. Then came a moment of pure magic: one of the young girls stepped forward and, with confidence and grace, gave a spontaneous speech that moved the entire room to a standing ovation.
“The spotlight wasn’t just mine—it was theirs too,” Onakoya said. “And in that moment, they didn’t just share it with me. They ignited it.”
Tunde Onakoya’s story is no longer just his own—it’s a shared dream, one that belongs to every child who has been told they don’t belong. From under bridges in Lagos to the marble halls of the UN, his message remains consistent: intelligence knows no class, and dreams are valid—no matter where they are born.
As applause faded and the children left the stage, the world was left with a new kind of inspiration. A reminder that true leadership is not about being in the spotlight, but about using it to illuminate others.
Tunde Onakoya didn’t just make history on April 2nd. He made hope visible.
And the world is watching.
