NEW YORK, USA — Nigeria’s celebrated chess champion and humanitarian, Tunde Onakoya, has shared a deeply moving story about Jamiu, one of two brothers he adopted from the slums of Lagos, who has now emerged as a chess champion in the United States.
In a heartfelt Instagram post on Monday, Onakoya recounted how he first met Jamiu and Ayomide in 2018 in Majidun, Ikorodu, where the boys were living in poverty and struggling to survive. At the time, Jamiu was a teenage roadside mechanic with an innate curiosity and brilliance that immediately caught Onakoya’s attention.
“In 2018, I met Jamiu. He was a curious kid, brilliant and full of light… I invited him and his brother Ayomide to our weekend chess academy,” Onakoya wrote.
After gaining their trust and visiting their home, Onakoya discovered their mother was an amputee who had lost her leg while scavenging for plastic bottles to feed her children. Their father had abandoned the family, leaving the boys to fend for themselves.
In 2019, tragedy struck when their mother fell critically ill. Onakoya recounted her final plea:
“She cried and asked me to take care of her boys if anything happened to her.”
Two weeks later, she passed away.
“That day, I became a father,” Onakoya said.
He took the boys in, enrolled them in school, and nurtured their talents. Today, Jamiu is a university student and a chess champion, while Ayomide, a gifted athlete, is finishing secondary school.
Their journey came full circle when Jamiu won the ICN Chess Championship in New York, beating over 200 USCF-rated players and earning a $500 scholarship.
“Today, my heart is overwhelmed with a joy words can barely hold… Mama Jamiu, your boys are doing well. I kept my promise. I always will,” Onakoya wrote.
The emotional story has resonated deeply across social media, with thousands praising Onakoya for his unwavering commitment to transforming lives through Chess in Slums Africa, the initiative he founded to educate and empower children in underserved communities.
“This is more than just a chess victory,” one user commented. “It’s a testimony to love, resilience, and the power of second chances.”
