PwC Mentors Students, Holds Chess Challenge

Mary Nnah

PwC Nigeria has held its second mentorship programme as part of this year’s Chess4Change wholistic development initiative. The seventh in the series, the chess-centred corporate social responsibility (CSR) programme, empowers students in public schools with various life skills.

The mentorship session, held at Government College, Surulere, was graced by dignitaries such as CSP Taiwo Adewunmi, the DPO, Bar Beach, Victoria Island; Dr Adebukola Bojuwoye, Head, Lagos State Sports Medicine Unit; Mr Alex Ogbole, Forensic Analyst & Cybercrime/Financial Crime Investigator, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC); and Mrs Cecilia Okeowo, the Principal, Government College Lagos.

CSP Taiwo Adewunmi urged the students to be more security conscious. Dr Adebukola Bojuwoye discouraged the abuse of drugs and other related substances, while Mr Alex Ogbole spoke on juvenile delinquency: financial crimes & other related offences.

Additionally, the firm organised a keenly contested novelty match in the Majidun community of Ikorodu between students of the Chess4Change programme and the ‘Chess in Slums Africa’ (CISA) initiative.​

Speaking at the event organized in conjunction with MediaVision, Delia Asuzu, PwC Nigeria’s Head, Clients and Markets, encouraged the participants to make the best of the opportunity as chess develops the various life skills essential for success. All the contestants in the challenge, which was won by the ‘Chess in the Slums’ team, received PwC-branded gifts, while the winners received additional prizes.

During an earlier courtesy visit, the Baale of Majidun, Chief Alex Omoyele, thanked the PwC team for the benevolence; and reiterated the community’s continued commitment to welcoming such impactful community development initiatives.

PwC’s Chess4Change is a major component of the professional firm’s CSR focus on “building trust in society and solving important problems.” The developmental programme is designed to improve secondary school students’ strategic and critical thinking skills using chess. The Lagos government supports it through the education ministry, the Lagos Sports Commission, and the Lagos State Chess Association.