16-year-old becomes Nigeria’s youngest chartered accountant

Stories by Rosemary Etim Bassey

A 16-year-old girl, Osasere Okundaye, has made history as Nigeria’s youngest chartered accountant, inspiring many young Nigerians with her determination and resilience.

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Okundaye, who completed her secondary school education at the age of 13, said she began her journey to becoming a chartered accountant instead of waiting to gain admission into university.

She shared her story during the Power Must Change Hands monthly programme held at the headquarters of the Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries in Magboro, Ogun State.

According to her, her parents encouraged her to enrol in the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria’s (ICAN) Accounting Technicians Scheme (ATS), giving her the opportunity to begin writing professional examinations while waiting to further her education.

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

“My parents encouraged me to start writing the ICAN examinations through ATS instead of just waiting until I was old enough for university.”

Despite her determination, Okundaye said the journey was challenging because she had not studied accounting in secondary school.

“I wasn’t an accounting student, so the first stage of the examinations was very difficult for me,” she said.

“But I put in extra effort, and by the grace of God, I passed. Since then, it has been a success.

The teenager also revealed that she experienced setbacks along the way. She failed one of her final professional papers last year but refused to give up. She rewrote the examination during the May 2026 diet and passed.

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

Her achievement has attracted praise from across the country. The Minister of Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande, described her accomplishment as a reflection of hard work, discipline, resilience and a commitment to excellence.

Education stakeholders have also hailed Okundaye’s success as proof that determination, discipline and early preparation can help young people achieve extraordinary goals.

Her achievement comes about a year after 18-year-old Temilola Blossom Arise, a student of the University of Ilorin, made headlines for passing ICAN’s professional stage examination.