Nigeria’s youngest chartered accountant, Osasere Okundaye, has revealed that her journey to qualifying at just 16 was marked by perseverance, including overcoming failure in one of her final professional examinations.
Okundaye, who recently set a new national record after qualifying as a chartered accountant at 16, shared her story during a visit to the General Overseer of the Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries, Dr. Daniel Olukoya.
Her achievement, announced by the Minister of Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande, surpassed the previous record held by Jonathan Adewale, who became a chartered accountant at 17.
Speaking about her experience, Okundaye said she began pursuing the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria qualification three years ago after completing secondary school ahead of schedule.
Rather than waiting to gain admission into university, she said her parents encouraged her to enrol in ICAN’s Accounting Technicians Scheme, which serves as a pathway to the professional qualification.
According to her, the journey was particularly demanding because she did not study accounting in secondary school, making the early stages of the examinations more challenging.
Despite the difficulties, she said determination and hard work helped her progress through each stage until she encountered a setback in her final examinations.
Okundaye disclosed that she failed one of the papers last year but refused to give up. She rewrote the examination in May this year and passed, earning her qualification as a chartered accountant at the age of 16.
She described the accomplishment as a testimony to God’s grace and expressed gratitude to her parents for encouraging her to pursue the qualification at an early age.
Reacting to the achievement, Olukoya congratulated the teenager, describing her success as an inspiration to young Nigerians.
He prayed for greater accomplishments in her future and said her achievement demonstrated that discipline, resilience and commitment, alongside God’s grace, could help young people overcome barriers and attain excellence regardless of age.
