In 2023, I defended my crown and became a two-time Nigerian Women’s Chess Champion. By far one of my biggest wins, yet, beneath the thrill of victory, quieter questions echoed: Of what worth are my trophies? I mean, they only last till there’s a new champion. Is there something more lasting than just adding medals to my shelf? I win them for myself, hoping they inspire someone else, too. But is that all there is?

There is so much more I could do, so much more I should give, and so much more I must give.

So, I thought of the late bloomers (just like me), the talented young girls whose talent burn bright but may be slowly fading to lack of opportunities, the silently struggling girl who says she’s fine but settles for quitting, the girls who don’t have half a chance to dare, to dream, or bet on themselves. These women, these girls, deserve an enabling space, one that allows us to sprout and blossom authentically like the queens we are. 

Here, a moment of epiphany was born. Every girl is a Queen.

And thus was the origin of Promoting Queens. 

I didn’t just want to teach girls how to play chess, I wanted them to see how this game mirrors life. Beyond strategy, I hoped to build within girls core competence, patience, confidence, grit, and the understanding of the power of every move. I wanted them to see themselves not as pawns, but as strong players – the queens and the kings on the chessboard. Every woman who dares to play chess is not only a queen, but also a king. 

And today, Promoting Queens is two!

Two years of bestowing confidence and resilience in young girls, two years of spotlighting queens from different regions in Africa.

Last year, we reached over 500 girls, teaching them not just how to move chess pieces but how to dream, and rise beyond the boundaries of their environment.

This year, we dared to push a bit further from Nigeria to Mombasa, Kenya, where many talented girls had walked away from chess due to funding. We started a club, and the spark returned to their eyes. Nothing gives us more joy than experiencing this.

This month, in Port Harcourt, we introduced chess to the queens at Elelenwo girls community school and watched over 200 girls light up with the joy of possibility. That’s the magic chess creates, and we are bringing it to every queen out there.

And my dream? That every girl who touches a chessboard through Promoting Queens finds her place in the world, not just as a champion of games, but a champion of her own life.

To everyone who has stood by this vision, our team, volunteers, donors, coaches, and even you, THANK YOU, I say. You’ve contributed to something beautiful. I could never have done it alone. Let’s continue this journey, let’s keep Promoting Queens.

♟❤