When Craft Becomes a Legacy

In the spirit of celebrating Africans whose impact transcends their craft or business, Bellafricana proudly celebrates Tunde Onakoya: a visionary whose impact extends beyond the 64 squares of a chessboard. Tunde’s story isn’t just one of personal triumph; it’s a powerful narrative of using skill, resilience, and compassion to rewrite the future for hundreds of children across Africa.

 

From Ikorodu to the World

Tunde’s story begins in Ikorodu, Lagos, not even in a classroom or a well-lit office, but in a humble barbershop where he first encountered the game of chess. What started as a spark of curiosity soon turned into a lifelong mission: to unlock potential where the world only saw poverty.

Armed with his love for the game and a heart for service, Tunde founded Chess in Slums Africa. This was an initiative that teaches chess to children in underserved communities while also helping them access education, mentorship, and life-changing opportunities.

But this is more than just about teaching kids to play a game. It’s about helping them see themselves differently as thinkers, strategists, and leaders. It’s about rewriting the script that says, “Because you’re from the slums, your dreams don’t matter.”

Tunde Onakoya perfectly embodies the essence of #BeyondTheCraft. His mission transcends his personal expertise in chess; it’s about legacy, impact, and the reimagination of African potential. Through strategic thinking, storytelling, and relentless service, he has turned a simple game into a global instrument of change.

 

 

Making Global Moves

Tunde’s impact has gone far beyond the slums of Lagos. In April 2024, he took to Times Square in New York City, where he played chess for 60 hours nonstop, not for personal glory, but to raise $1 million for children’s education across Africa.

And just recently, in 2025, he took the message even further, delivering a keynote address at the United Nations Headquarters, sharing his story and the possibilities that lie in investing in Africa’s future through its children.

From street corners to global stages, Tunde has shown that a simple idea, when driven by purpose, can ripple across continents.

Why Tunde Onakoya is Beyond the Craft

At first glance, chess may seem far removed from the creative industries we highlight at Bellafricana. But that’s exactly why this spotlight matters.

Tunde represents everything Beyond the Craft stands for: turning passion into purpose, skill into social impact, and vision into legacy. He has taken what he knows and built something that transforms lives, challenges stereotypes, and champions Africa in rooms where our voices aren’t always heard.

He reminds us that creativity isn’t just what we make with our hands; it’s what we build with our hearts.

The Bigger Picture

Beyond the Craft is about more than recognition. It’s about reminding ourselves and the world that Africa’s greatness lies in its people. The ones who see possibilities where others see problems. The ones who use their platform, whatever it may be, to lift others as they rise.

Tunde Onakoya is doing just that, and we’re proud to celebrate him, not just for what he’s done, but for what he represents: the power of vision, purpose, and unwavering belief in the next generation.

 

At Bellafricana, Beyond the Craft is our way of honouring Africans like Tunde, whose work has created ripple effects far beyond their immediate industry. He is not just a chess master; he is a master of change, reshaping narratives, breaking boundaries, and inspiring a generation to dream bigger.

 

Follow Bellafricana on Instagram to see more inspiring African visionaries: Bell_africana