Nigerian chess champion and social entrepreneur Tunde Onakoya has been honoured with the Premio Impacto Social Internacional (The International Social Impact Award)at the prestigious Lideremos Youth Awards held in Barcelona, Spain, adding another global accolade to a growing list of international recognition.
The Premio Impacto Social Internacional was to Nigerian Tunde Onakoya, founder of Chess in Slums Africa, in recognition of his work of social transformation through chess.
The Lideremos platform held the third edition of its annual awards at CosmoCaixa Barcelona, with more than 500 young people alongside political and business representatives gathered for a gala that recognised eight leaders for their professional and social impact.
The event was opened by Spain’s Minister of Science, Innovation and Universities, Diana Morant, who congratulated the young winners on their contributions to innovation and progress. Barcelona’s Mayor, Jaume Collboni, closed the gala, stressing the city’s commitment to young talent.
Lideremos founder and president Tomàs Güell declared: “We will not stop! With the third edition of the Lideremos Awards, young people are demonstrating that age does not limit impact and that youth talent and leadership are transcending borders.”
Onakoya, born in the slums of Ikorodu, Lagos, founded Chess in Slums Africa in 2018 with the goal of using chess as a tool for education and social mobility. Over 10,000 children’s lives have been touched through the initiative, with 500 receiving fully funded scholarships to local and international institutions.
He also holds the Guinness World Record for the longest chess marathon, set in New York’s Times Square in April 2024, where he played for 60 consecutive hours to raise funds for children’s education across Africa.
