Platform School, Baruwa, Ipaja, has emerged champions of the 2026 Ecobank National Schools Team Chess Championship after defeating Dayspring School.
The Ipaja-based school received a cash prize of ₦2.5 million, while Dayspring School, Oyo, finished second and earned ₦2 million. King’s College Lagos secured third place and received ₦1.5 million.
Platform School clinched the title after six rounds with 16 match points, edging Dayspring School, which also remained unbeaten but settled for second place on tiebreaks. King’s College Lagos completed the podium following an impressive campaign.
The victory further strengthened the growing rivalry between Platform School and Dayspring School in the competition.
Platform School won the maiden edition of the Ecobank-sponsored championship before Dayspring School claimed the second edition title. Platform School bounced back by reclaiming the crown in the third edition and has now secured back-to-back titles after triumphing again this year.
Dayspring School, meanwhile, recorded consecutive second-place finishes after their victory in the second edition.
The Chess in Slums Africa team representing Makoko was among the standout winners in the primary-school category.
The third Ecobank School Chess Championship featured intense competition across both primary and secondary school divisions, showcasing the strategic brilliance of young Nigerian chess players.
The 2026 Ecobank National Schools Team Chess Championship was held at the Ecobank Pan African Centre with a total prize pool of ₦20 million.
Head of Educational and Social Services at Ecobank, Kunle Adewoyi, urged participants to aspire to become chess grandmasters in the future.
“There are Grand Masters in Kenya, Rwanda and some other African countries, but sadly, we don’t have any in Nigeria at the moment. It is our prayer that some of these students will become one in the near future,” he said.
Adewoyi added that Ecobank remains committed to sponsoring chess because of its educational and developmental value for children.
Vice President of the Nigerian Chess Federation, Adeyinka Adewale, praised Ecobank and other partners for supporting the tournament and promised that future editions would be even bigger and better.
