I failed ICAN before qualifying at 16, says Nigeria’s youngest chartered accountant

Osasere Okundaye has achieved a remarkable feat, becoming Nigeria's youngest chartered accountant at the age of 16, a journey that included overcoming a significant setback: failing one of her final professional examinations.

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I started this ICAN journey three years ago, after finishing secondary school early. My parents encouraged me to start taking the ICAN examinations through ATS instead of just waiting around until I reached the right age for university.

Okundaye shared her three-year path to qualification during a visit to Dr. Daniel Olukoya, General Overseer of the Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries. Encouraged by her parents to pursue the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) examinations through the Accounting Technicians Scheme (ATS) after finishing secondary school early, she embarked on the challenging program.

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I wasn’t an accounting student in secondary school, so the examinations, especially at the first level, proved more difficult for me than for other people at the same level.

Lacking a formal accounting background from secondary school, Okundaye found the initial stages of the ATS program particularly demanding. She had to dedicate extra effort to pass the first level, describing it as more difficult than for her peers. However, after successfully navigating the initial hurdles, she experienced a string of successes.

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

Despite this progress, a major challenge arose when she failed a final professional paper. Undeterred, Okundaye rewrote the examination in May and passed, officially qualifying as a chartered accountant at 16. Dr. Olukoya celebrated her achievement, calling it a testament to "God's faithfulness and what can be accomplished through diligence, discipline, resilience, and an unwavering commitment to excellence."

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Today, we celebrate with one of our own, Osasere Okundaye, as she shares the inspiring testimony of becoming Nigeria’s youngest Chartered Accountant at just 16 years old. This extraordinary achievement stands as a powerful testament to God’s faithfulness and what can be accomplished through diligence, discipline, resilience, and an unwavering commitment to excellence.