‘I started my ICAN journey at 13’ — Nigeria’s youngest chartered accountant tells story behind record feat

Osasere Okundaye, Nigeria’s youngest chartered accountant, has recounted how she began her journey with the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) at the age of 13 after finishing secondary school early.

Okundaye spoke on Saturday during the Power Must Change Hands monthly programme at the Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries headquarters in Magboro, Ogun state.

On Monday, the 16-year-old student was announced as the country’s youngest chartered accountant.

In a statement announcing the achievement, Ayodele Olawande, minister of youth development, congratulated Okundaye on the achievement.

“This remarkable milestone is a testament to the power of hard work, discipline, resilience and an unwavering commitment to excellence,” the minister said.

Sharing her testimony before the congregation, Okundaye said her parents encouraged her to enrol for ICAN’s accounting technicians scheme (ATS) examinations instead of waiting until she was old enough for university admission.

“I am 16 years old. I started this ICAN journey three years ago after finishing my secondary school early,” she said.

“My parents encouraged me to start writing the ICAN examinations through ATS instead of just waiting around until I got to the right age for university.”

According to her, the journey was particularly challenging because she did not study accounting in secondary school.

“I wasn’t an accounting student in secondary school, so the exams, especially at the first level proved very difficult, more difficult than they probably were for other people at the same level,” she said.

“But I had to put in extra effort, and with the grace of God, I was able to pass that first level. Ever since then, it has been a success.”

The prodigy said she experienced a setback after failing one of her final examination papers last year but refused to give up.

“Last year, I failed one of my final papers, unfortunately, which I had to rewrite earlier this year in May,” she recalled.

“To the glory of God, I passed that examination, and now I can say that I am a qualified accountant of the institute at 16 years old.”

Okundaye’s feat is coming a year after Temilola Blossom Arise, an 18-year-old student at the University of Ilorin (UNILORIN), passed her professional stage examination of ICAN. (TheCable)