Unilag, Daysprings School, Marvelvine Montessori School Top List; Cart Away Millions in Prize Monies
Over the weekend at the Pan African Centre in Lagos, the University of Lagos (UNILAG), DaySpring School in Lagos, and Marvelvine Montessori School in Lagos emerged victorious in the tertiary, secondary, and primary school categories of the 2024 Ecobank National Schools’ Teams Chess Competition.
Almost 1200 players from more than 250 schools spread across 18 states in Nigeria and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) participated in the chess competition, dubbed the largest assembly of chess players in Africa.
Speaking at the closing ceremony, Prince Adeyinka Adewole, Vice President of the Nigeria Chess Federation (NCF), expressed excitement about the championship’s rapid growth. The World Schools Team Chess Championship was introduced last year by the International Chess Federation (ICF). He mentioned that more than 1200 people attended the 2024 event and praised NCF’s collaboration with Ecobank as a prime example of the public-private relationship that is essential for the growth of sports in Nigeria.
“118 primary schools, 86 secondary schools, and 42 tertiary institutions participated and jostled for prizes of over N15 million at the three-day tournament, which took place between Friday 24th and Sunday 26th at the Ecobank Pan African Centre (EPAC) in Victoria, Lagos. At the end of the highly competitive tournament, the University of Lagos came tops in the tertiary school category, followed by the University of Benin and Chess in Slums Africa (CISA) while DaySpring School, Platforms School, and Ireti Senior Grammar School came first, second and third respectively, in the secondary school category. For the primary school category, Marvelvine Montessori School came in first, while Scholars Academy, Ibadan, was second best and followed by Okikioluwa Junior in the third position.”. He stated.
Further, he said, “When we introduced this championship last year, only 15 schools participated, but today we have over 250 schools. This is a remarkable accomplishment for us in the Nigeria Chess Federation, and we wouldn’t have been able to achieve this without the unwavering support of Ecobank. We’re deeply grateful for Ecobank’s generous support and unwavering commitment to empowering young minds and fostering intellectual growth. Your sponsorship has made this event possible, and your dedication to the development of chess among Nigerian youth is truly commendable.”
He reiterated the Federation’s delight in providing a platform for young participants to horn their skills and become world champions, stating that the championship is a celebration of strategic thinking, the relentless pursuit of excellence, and the future of Nigerian chess.
As part of Ecobank’s strategic human capital development drive, Bolaji Lawal, Managing Director/Regional Executive, Ecobank Nigeria, stated that the bank decided to sponsor the chess competition to further highlight Ecobank’s commitment to supporting intellectual and sporting development in Nigeria.
“The winners here today are ‘rising stars. And I must say this is in line with our objective of supporting children and youths as the next-generation of changemakers. This sponsorship aligns with our overall long-term vision of building a world class pan-African bank that contributes to the economic and financial integration of the continent. We are also using the opportunity of this competition to introduce and empower them with convenient, affordable, and accessible digital financial services they can access anytime and anywhere they are. Arrangements are in place to make our partnership an annual event, as it is exciting and fulfilling for both the children and undergraduate students.”. He stated.
In his comment, Minister of Sports Senator John Owan Enoh, represented by the Director, Federal Ministry of Sports Liaison Office in Lagos, Ms. Ikana Mbora, said the ministry is proud of the NCF. He commended the students for their resilience and determination to win, as “this represents the Nigerian can do spirit.”.
You may remember that last year at the inaugural National Schools Team Chess Championship, Platform Schools, located in Ikeja, Lagos, won the title of national champions. As a result, they were invited to represent Nigeria in the World Schools Team Chess Championship, which took place in Kazakhstan.
The Nigeria Chess Federation (NCF) is the national governing body for chess in Nigeria. It was established in 1975 and is responsible for promoting, regulating and developing chess in Nigeria. The NCF is a federation under the Federal Ministry of Sport Development, and it is affiliated with the International Chess Federation (FIDE) and follows its rules and regulations. The objectives of the NCF include organizing national and international chess tournaments, training and selecting chess players to represent Nigeria in international competitions, and promoting the game of chess at all levels, from grassroots to elite. The NCF organizes various chess events throughout the year, and has also been successful in producing strong chess players who have represented Nigeria in international tournaments. These players have achieved notable successes, including winning medals in African chess championships and participating in chess Olympiads.
