Today, one of my greatest dreams came to life. We officially launched the first Chess Innovation Hub in Lagos, Nigeria, made possible through the incredible partnership with help alliance and Lufthansa Group. It’s difficult to find the words to express just how much this moment means to me personally and to everyone who has walked this journey with us.
I have always believed that every child, no matter their background, deserves the opportunity to develop their full potential. This hub will be a sanctuary where dreams are nurtured and where we’ll inspire children to have faith in their own ideas.
As promised, the hub will be free and accessible to children in Makoko, as well as homeless children in Yaba, Ebutte Metta, and Surulere axis. We will focus on creating programs that teach Coding, Robotics, AI/Machine Learning, design, advanced chess training and a book reading club. This is where we reimagine education for children who may have fallen through the cracks of society and help them unleash the power of their minds in creative ways.
None of this would have been possible without the unwavering support of our community—our friends, partners, and volunteers. My deepest gratitude goes to the Chess in Slums Africa team, especially Emmanuel Abiodun Oke my right-hand man, and our board chairman Tunde Onakoya Esq. for their leadership from the project’s inception to this day.
But this is only the beginning. Our vision is grand: to build a Chess Innovation Hub in every community across Africa where we can super index on talent development for the future of work.
The last picture in this post holds a special place in my heart. It’s from exactly four years ago, when I had just moved into my first rented apartment in Ikorodu. I couldn’t afford furniture then, so I turned my living room into an after-school academy where children could learn how to use the internet, web development, and critical thinking. That small space was our first innovation hub 😊. It was humble, but it was the seed of a much larger dream.
To the children who will walk through those doors, I hope you find love and a sense of belonging here. There is no future worth dreaming of that doesn’t include all of you.
One hub built, a thousand more to go❤️
