1,500 Students Compete for N20m in Chess Championship

The Ecobank National Schools Team Chess Championship is set to take place on May 7-8 in Lagos, featuring over 1,500 pupils from 300 schools across Nigeria. The total prize pool for the championship is N20 million, with primary school champions receiving N2 million and secondary school champions N2.5 million.

The event, organized by the Nigeria Chess Federation, aims to encourage wider participation among young players and reward excellence. Vice President of the Nigeria Chess Federation, Adeyinka Adewol, emphasized the importance of developing future chess champions and aligning the competition with global standards set by FIDE.

Adekunle Adewuyi, Ecobank's segment head for education, highlighted the bank's commitment to youth development through chess as a tool for critical thinking and problem-solving. The championship is expected to attract teams from at least 15 states, and the prize structure is designed to motivate students and reinforce values such as discipline and teamwork.