Nigerian chess maestro Tunde Onakoya has set a new world chess record by playing for over 58 hours, breaking the previous record of 56 hours and 9 minutes set in 2018 by Norwegian duo Hallvard Haug Flatebø and Sjur Ferkingstad.
President Bola Tinubu has paid tribute to Onakoya for displaying the resilience, self-belief, and ingenuity of Nigerian youths, describing his achievement as a "rare feat."
Onakoya undertook the challenge to raise $1m for underprivileged African children to access education, and his feat was achieved in the heart of Times Square in New York City, United States.
In a statement on Saturday, President Tinubu praised Onakoya for his rare feat and for the reason driving his compelling demonstration of character, which is raising funds for African children to learn and find opportunity through chess.
The President emphasized that Onakoya has shown a streak customary among Nigeria's youth population, the audacity to make good change happen; to baffle impossibility, and to propel innovations and solutions to the nation’s challenges, even from corners of disadvantage.
Tinubu stressed that Nigeria's youths have demonstrated in all fields, including Afrobeats, Nollywood, the pulsating skit-making enterprise, education, science and technology, that great exploits can truly come from small quarters.
The President commended the inclination of Nigerians - across artificial partitions - for unity, once again exemplified through their undiluted support for this epoch-making endeavour.
Tinubu assured all citizens that his administration remains strongly committed to creating and expanding opportunities for the youth to explore and exercise their abilities and become the symbols of greatness our nation represents into the future.
After reaching his initial target of 58 hours, Onakoya announced his intention to push for an extra two hours as he seeks to further stamp his authority and meet a fundraising goal for the education of African children around the world.
