The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, hosted chess champion Tunde Onakoya for “The King’s Move” inter-school chess contest in Ile-Ife, praising youth empowerment and distributing ₦1.6 million to students and teachers

The Ooni of Ife, His Imperial Majesty Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, on Monday welcomed celebrated chess champion and founder of Chess in Slums Africa, Tunde Onakoya, to the Ile-Oodua Palace, Ile-Ife.

Also read: Akwa Ibom promotes arts, culture, language revival at children’s summit

The visit was for a remarkable inter-school chess initiative titled “The King’s Move.”

Organised in collaboration with the Hopes Alive Initiative, a foundation championed by Queen Temitope Morenike Ogunwusi, the event brought together 14 secondary school students from across Ile-Ife.

These students participated in a spirited chess contest with Onakoya himself.

In his address, the Ooni praised Onakoya’s grassroots chess initiative, hailing it as a transformative tool for youth empowerment and intellectual development, especially among disadvantaged children.

“I commend Tunde Onakoya for wielding the power of chess to inspire greatness. This initiative fosters critical thinking, resilience and leadership in our youth,” the monarch said.

He also applauded Queen Temitope and her foundation for actively cultivating young minds through education and innovation.

Onakoya, visibly moved by the royal reception, expressed profound gratitude for the support and urged the participating students to remain determined and focused.

He added, “Chess is more than a game—it sharpens the mind and builds decision-making capacity.”

To further motivate the participants, the Ooni announced a ₦500,000 cash reward to be shared among all the competing students.

The overall winner, Toyosi Samuel of Eleve Academy, Oranfe, received a special prize of ₦100,000, while the accompanying teachers were awarded a collective ₦1 million.

In total, Oba Ogunwusi disbursed ₦1.6 million, a gesture widely applauded as both timely and morale-boosting. One grateful teacher described it as “a rekindling of hope for educators.”

Also read:Ogun cultural heritage promotion gains private sector backing

In a symbolic climax to the event, the Ooni presented a specially crafted artwork to Onakoya in honour of his exceptional impact on youth development through chess. The gesture was met with heartfelt appreciation from the chess master.