The children’s biography Tunde Onakoya: The Chess Champion, written by Nigerian writer, publisher, and festival organizer Lola Shoneyin launched on May 27, 2025, at Ouida Books in Ikeja, Lagos. The 60-page book, featuring a cover and illustrations by artists K. R. Onimole, was released to coincide Children’s Day.
The book tells the remarkable story of Onakoya’s journey from a childhood in the slums of Lagos to becoming a Guinness World Record holder for the longest chess marathon. “For the first time, the story of how I found magic on a chess board and used it to change the world is now a children’s book,” said Onakoya, who attended the event with his parents and brother, as reported by The Guardian Nigeria.
In this richly illustrated biography, young readers are introduced to a boy born in Ketu and raised in Ikorodu, whose life was transformed after discovering a chessboard in a barber’s shop. The book is not only a story of resilience but also one of mentorship, community, and vision. According to Lola Shoneyin’s Instagram post, the Onakoya’s “story is one of grit and giving back.”
Published by Nigerian publisher Ouida Books headed by Shoneyin, the biography combines illustration, narrative, and local storytelling traditions to present Onakoya as a living symbol of possibility for young Nigerians. “The children’s book tells the story of one of Nigeria’s most remarkable figures in chess,” said Ouida Books editor Mazeedah Olutosin in her opening remarks, as reported by The Guardian Nigeria. “This book is filled with dreams that will make you laugh, think and begin to feel like a champion.”
The biography traces Onakoya’s journey from humble beginnings. “The story didn’t start with Tunde, but his father, who was a danfo driver striving hard to meet the needs of the family,” said Mrs. Bunmi Talabi-Aboderin, a children’s book publisher who reviewed the book at the event (The Guardian Nigeria). “No matter where you start from, there is always a place to rise and achieve greatness.”
Despite health and financial challenges, Onakoya not only learned the game but mastered it. In 2021, he founded Chess in Slums Africa, a nonprofit that now mentors thousands of children. His well-known quote, included in the book, sums up his ethos: “It’s possible to do great things from a small place.”
According to PM News, the event was attended by a representative of the Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, and also featured performances by poet Wana Udobang, a musical set by The Recurrence, and heartfelt remarks from Onakoya himself. He spoke movingly of his mother’s sacrifices, saying, “She told me a proverb, ‘I want you to be able to speak among your peers.’ I never understood until now. Chess gave me a character… It made me believe I could also be a thinker.”
Onakoya shared with the audience his hesitation when first approached with the idea for a children’s biography: “When Auntie Lola called me and she was like she had this vision to bring my story into a story book for children, I first refused because I thought the story wasn’t complete yet.” He humbly continued, “For one to be a living legend you have to do one final thing that brings everything to end. The story never ends. This story is still being written. But I am glad that some part of it has been, in some sense, made into this book.”
Shoneyin, author of the award-winning novel The Secret Lives of Baba-Segi’s Wives, explained her motivation for writing the book as an effort to spotlight inspiring role models for children. “I don’t understand why children should be more exposed to the antics and shenanigans of Hushpuppi when they have Tunde’s inspiring story,” she said, reports PM News. “For me this is an act of resistance.”
With its vivid visuals, accessible storytelling, and emotional depth, Tunde Onakoya: The Chess Champion is already being hailed as an essential addition to Nigerian children’s literature. “I can’t wait for the book to be in the hands of children, dreamers like me,” Onakoya said at the launch, “so they know that whatever magic they have, whatever talent, there is a place for them in the world.”
Check out a video of the book launch:
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