Women and girls are everywhere, and wherever they are, that’s where we hope to be. This time, our relentless mission and restless legs at Promoting Queens landed us in the heart of Bayelsa state, Nigeria.
You may wonder. Is there anywhere we haven’t yet been?
Sure, we haven’t even scratched the surface of what we hope, and where we hope to be. We take the business of unravelling royalty in women and girls seriously.
Bayelsa is an amazing state in Nigeria, the kind of place where the calm is louder than anything else. And we went there to stir things up beautifully with the girls of Bayelsa.
Happy to tell you more!
A Partnership for the Bayelsa Girl-Child
Bayelsa is already known for her chess prowess, with the likes of the legendary Coach Bomo Kighigha (4 times Nigerian National Champion, and one of Nigeria’s top players), Quickpen Deborah (2023 National Women’s Champion), and Goodness Ekunke (Nigeria’s youngest Chess master), to name a few. These are already seasoned chess professionals domiciled in Bayelsa, but we want to raise more queens from this zone, hence the catch phrase for our outreach: Rising Queens Bayelsa!
The Rising Queens Bayelsa Project took place on October 10–11, 2025, at the Bayelsa State Sports Complex. It was made possible through a strong partnership between Promoting Queens and the Bayelsa State Chess Association.
The goal remains the same: to use Chess as a tool to empower the Bayelsa girl-child and instil confidence, discipline, and decision-making skills.
Rising Queens Bayelsa brought together young girls from different ages, schools, and backgrounds in one venue to learn, play, and compete in chess at a truly inspiring level.
Yes, many of the girls were new to Chess and had no Chess experience, but their willingness and transformation over a short time were remarkable for us to see. We watched them yearn, crawl, and walk with confidence on the chessboard.
Day 1: Rising Queens Chess Workshop
The program officially began with a Chess workshop. The workshop commenced a bit late due to a prescheduled meeting being held at the venue. We managed to get the ball rolling at 2:45 pm instead of our scheduled 1 pm.
Despite the delay, the workshop was a success. With the two hours we had, we were able to teach the girls the basics of Chess, from the history of Chess to having the right mindset towards Chess. The girls showed good understanding of the basics, and were engrossed in the game excitedly.
By the end of Day 1, the excitement in the room was undeniable. The girls were inspired, challenged, and ready to face the next day with boldness.
Lessons for Life Beyond the Chessboard
While Chess was the main focus, the girls gained something even more valuable: life lessons they will carry long after the event. Through Chess, they learned to think before acting, stay calm under pressure, learn from mistakes, trust their decisions, and keep fighting even when things get tough.
Chess gives more than merely understanding the symmetry of the pieces. There are more didactic cues to pick from Chess, and this is what we always offer our queens.
Day 2: Chess Tournament
On Day 2, the tournament officially began at about 11 am, and the energy shifted from learning to competition.
A total of 47 girls participated in the tournament, playing 7 rounds across five categories:
- Under 6 (U6)
- Under 8 (U8)
- Under 10 (U10)
- Under 12 (U12)
- Under 16 (U16)
Round after round, these young girls displayed courage, intelligence, and determination. It was a demanding experience, but they stayed strong and focused all through.
Meet Our Winners
To us, all the girls who participated are winners; it’s no small feat to have the courage to learn a new path, one as complex as Chess. Some of the girls may have won in their categories, but all the girls are winners!
After 7 gruelling rounds, winners emerged from the different categories.
Under 6 Winners
🥇First Position: Zina Iweka — 4/7🥈 Second Position: Ziora Iweka — 3/7🥉 Third Position: Tamaraebi Ebisine — 2/7
Under 8 Winners
🥇First Position: Charis Denenu — 4.5/7🥈 Second Position: Diamond Bidei — 4/7🥉 Third Position: Tokoni Jenakumo — 3/7
Under 10 Winners
🥇First Position: Pearl Igidi Kennedy — 5/7
🥈 Second Position: Munachimso Egom — 5/7
🥉 Third Position: Pearl Christopher — 4/7
Under 12 Winners
🥇First Position Chukwufmnaya Egom — 5/7🥈Second Position: Emanuella Victor — 5/7🥉Third Position: Mary-Ann Fuwei — 5/7
Under 16 Winners
🥇First Position: Fidelis Daniella — 7/7🥈Second Position: Flourish John — 6/7🥉Third Position: Michelle Christopher — 6/7
Fidelis Daniella: Perfect 7/7 Champion
There were many amazing performances, but one girl stood out. From her composure on the chessboard to how she played almost precisely for a beginner was amazing for us to see.
Her name is Fidelis Daniella, and she scored a flawless 7/7 in the Chess tournament, emerging as the overall winner.
Her performance proved she is no match for beginners and is ready to take on tougher challenges. She will now progress into a higher calling with the Bayelsa State youth team, where she can grow even stronger and compete at advanced levels.
This is the kind of growth we want for every girl who steps into Rising Queens.
The Inspiring Story of Unity (Surname)
One heartfelt moment of the whole project was the joy of watching Unity Eizen. She has the kind of smile that lights up rooms, and her passion was contagious.
Unity is autistic, but more than that, she is amazing, joyful, warm, and easily the highlight of the whole project for us. Unity’s zeal caught the attention of many, reminding everyone that every child deserves the opportunity to learn, belong, and shine.
Rising Queens Bayelsa proudly celebrates inclusion because all girls matter.
Awards, Gifts, and Recognition for Every Girl
As we rightly say, all our girls are queens and must be treated as such. The Rising Queens project was not just about teaching girls Chess, but also to reveal the girls to themselves, to the royalty that is inside all of them. So we always encourage all our participants with gifts for even having the courage to sit at the chessboard.
Here are the gifts and awards presented to the girls:
- Chessboards were presented to the top 3 winners in each category
- Medals were awarded
- A trophy was presented to the U16 overall winner
- Certificates of participation were presented to all 47 girls
From winners to first-timers, every child left the event feeling seen, valued, and proud.
Special Thanks: Bayelsa Chess Association, FM Bomo & Chesskids
Rising Queens Project would not have been possible without the support of the Bayelsa Chess Association, the amazing FM Bomo Kighigha, and our favorite chess learning platform, chesskids.com.
Chesskid has helped improve the quality of the girls’ Chess, and all the girls found it interesting to use. We helped the girls who had access to devices set up free Chesskid accounts, allowing them practice Chess more extensively and comfortably.
With the support from Chesskid, we can soon boast of the girls raising their level in Chess, and for this, we say a big thank you to Chesskid.
We are deeply grateful to the Bayelsa State Chess Association for providing the Sports Complex and supporting this dream from start to finish.
We also appreciate FIDE Master Bomo Kighigha, who carried on this project with Promoting Queens because the Bayelsa girl-child means a lot to him.
FM Bomo has trained many female chess prodigies from Bayelsa who have grown to become the best Chess players in Nigeria. Project Rising Queens is building that same future, one girl at a time.
We are proud of every girl who participated. We are grateful to every parent who believed, and we are excited for what is coming next. Bayelsa Queens are rising.
“This is only the beginning of something great in Bayelsa State. Rising Queens Bayelsa has started a movement, and we are not stopping. “— WFM Perpetual Ogbiyoyo, Founder, Promoting Queens
Rising Queens Bayelsa ended on a high note with lots of excitement; it was as though we should not have wrapped up the program. One of the parents did say — “This isn’t real… Can anything good as this come out of Nigeria for free?”
Rising Queens Bayelsa is real, and it’s only just begun.
Looking Ahead: The Next Edition in 2026
The next edition of Rising Queens Bayelsa was initially planned to hold on January 30th - 31st, 2026, but has been moved to February 27th - 28th, 2026 due to venue availability.
And we are already preparing for something even better.
The next edition promises to be bigger and stronger, where we will not only teach these girls chess, but also empower them with confidence, leadership skills, and life skills they can utilize in their future.
We cannot do this alone. Join and support us at Promotingqueens.org