About 1,500 pupils and students from 300 schools nationwide will participate in the 2026 Ecobank National Schools’ Team Chess Championship.
The event will be held from May 7–8, 2026, at the Ecobank Pan African Centre (EPAC), Lagos, according to a statement from the financial institution, which also assured that all arrangements have been concluded to make the contest memorable.
The Ecobank National Schools’ Team Chess Championship is organised in partnership with the Nigeria Chess Federation (NCF) and SchoolMate.
The 2025 edition, its third, witnessed a significant growth in participation, with over 2,500 students from 450 schools participating.
Speaking ahead of the tournament, Ecobank’s Segment Head for Education, Faith and Social Services, Mr Adekunle Adewuyi, said the bank remains committed to scaling the championship as a pathway for developing Nigeria’s next generation of intellectual and strategic leaders.
According to him, the championship has evolved into a strong national platform for nurturing talent and promoting critical thinking among young Nigerians.
“This championship has become a leading national platform for identifying and nurturing emerging chess talents.
“Chess is a powerful educational tool; it sharpens critical thinking, problem-solving and discipline. Through this initiative, we are preparing young Nigerians not just for competition, but for leadership roles in the future,” Mr Adewuyi said.
He described the tournament as a rapidly growing, award-winning scholastic competition that attracts thousands of students annually and promotes intellectual development while fostering future chess grandmasters.
Also speaking, the Vice President of NCF, Mr Adeyinka Adewole Samuel, said the championship aligns with global standards set by the International Chess Federation (FIDE), which encourages countries to organise structured school-level competitions.
According to him, the tournament targets primary and secondary school students aged 7–18, as part of a deliberate strategy to build a sustainable pipeline of future grandmasters.
Mr Adeyinka disclosed that about 150 primary schools and 150 secondary schools are expected to participate this year, with each school fielding five players, bringing the total number of participants to approximately 1,500 students from about 15 states, adding that the competition will feature a N20 million prize pool.
He also revealed that enhanced measures have been introduced to improve event delivery, including strict player eligibility checks, enhanced crowd control, and the deployment of 50 trained arbiters to guarantee fairness and transparency.
Highlighting the impact of the initiative, Mr Adeyinka noted that Nigerian students who emerged from the Ecobank championship have excelled at continental competitions.
“The growth has been phenomenal. When Nigeria competes at continental tournaments, many of the standout players are alumni of the Ecobank championship. We won a gold medal last year in Uganda, and that success is strongly linked to what Ecobank has done,” he said.
On his part, the Marketing Head of SchoolMate Nigeria, Mr Ambesh Kumar, said the company partnered with the initiative to support youth development through education and sport, noting that chess helps children build discipline, focus and strategic thinking.
“We are passionate about quality education for children, and we see this tournament as a veritable means of advancing that cause. Last year, we distributed books to the children, and this year marks our first involvement as a co-sponsor.
“SchoolMate has operated in Nigeria for several years, and we see this chess championship as a meaningful way of giving back to society,” Mr Kumar stated.