Platform Schools, Ipaja, Lagos, will represent Nigeria at the 2023 international Chess and Spelling Bee Championships in August and September respectively.
The school will represent Nigeria in Kazakhstan, the host country, for the 2023 World Chess Championship.
A student of the school, Gideon Esene will represent Nigeria in the Spelling Bee in Dubai, UAE.
Speaking in an interview, the proprietor, Platform Schools,Bola Obe, explained that “To be selected as the representative of Nigeria after a rigorous exercise that involves several top schools from 36 states and FCT is something that is beyond extraordinary. I can’t describe how happy we are right now as a school. It is a wonderful experience very difficult to describe. It is ecstatic!”
While speaking on the secret of the success of the school, Obe added, “Long-term preparation. We started the Chess programme, some five years ago. We had regular training programmes and special intervention classes, which is basically using Chess to drill students in creative thinking, problem-solving , and the art of reading.”
He advised parents that “Mastery of the English Language, being an international language can open a great door for children. Exposure of students to competitions of this magnitude will be a lasting experience for them.”
He explained that Chess was beyond the game as it could be used to train students on how to solve real-life problems, how to address business issues such as dealing with competition, understanding business strategy, and so on.
