What Boys Can Become When They Are Seen | Tunde Onakoya | TEDxAdmiralty Way

Quick Overview

Tunde Onakoya tells three personal stories illustrating how exposing underserved children to chess, particularly through his "Chess in Slums Africa" initiative, helps them redefine masculinity by fostering self-worth, intellectual capacity, and a sense of possibility beyond their impoverished backgrounds.

Key Points: Onakoya shared three stories demonstrating the transformative power of chess for boys from underprivileged communities in Nigeria. The first story involved an 11-year-old boy named Yusuf who experienced poverty and trauma, yet possessed a deep internal strength that chess helped him realize. The second story involved Jason, an 11-year-old from a privileged background, whose interaction with the street boys highlighted contrasting realities of Nigerian childhoods. The third story featured a boy who was breaking a world record for the longest chess marathon in Times Square, showcasing global recognition for the initiative's work. The core message is that chess acts as a tool and a mirror, enabling children to see their potential beyond the poverty and violence surrounding them, thereby redefining masculinity. Onakoya dedicated the last ten years to helping these children find their place in the world, emphasizing that the children's inherent potential must be discovered. The TEDx event was TEDxAdmiralty Way, held in Lagos, Nigeria, in November 2025.

Context: Tunde Onakoya, a Nigerian National Chess Master and social reformer, founded the non-profit organization "Chess in Slums Africa" to use chess as a tool for education, technology, and mentorship for children in underserved communities across Africa. The talk, delivered at TEDxAdmiralty Way in Lagos, Nigeria, focuses on redefining masculinity through the lens of these children's experiences and the transformative impact of the game of chess on their lives.

Detailed Analysis

Tunde Onakoya delivered a talk centered on three personal stories that highlight how exposing underprivileged children to chess helped them overcome adversity and redefine masculinity. He recounted an incident a week before traveling to the US where he encountered young boys soliciting money near a mall; when he asked the oldest, Yusuf (13), what he did, Yusuf replied he was robbing and carjacking, which deeply affected Onakoya. This led to the realization that the greatest tragedy is not poverty or violence, but the loss of innocence and potential. He contrasted this with a second encounter involving Jason, an 11-year-old boy from a privileged background who spent time with the street children, showing the vast disparities in childhood experiences. The third story referenced the time a boy was breaking a world record in a chess marathon in Times Square, bringing global attention to their work. Onakoya emphasizes that chess is a tool that allows these children, who might otherwise be defined by their circumstances (poverty, trauma, violence), to see their own potential and power, transforming them into assets for society rather than liabilities. He concludes by stating that realizing this potential is the greatest honor of their lives, urging the audience to help these children see themselves differently.