Sixteen-year-old Osasere Okundaye has made history as Nigeria’s youngest chartered accountant after successfully qualifying through the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN). Her milestone, which broke a four-year national record, has attracted formal commendations from the Federal Government and prominent religious leaders.
The teenager clinched the title after passing her remaining professional papers, surpassing the previous record set in 2022 by Jonathan Adewale, who qualified at the age of 17. The achievement is considered rare in Nigeria, where the demanding ICAN professional certification is typically attained by older university graduates after years of rigorous study.
In an official statement released by the Ministry of Youth Development, the Minister, Ayodele Olawande, praised the teenager's historic feat. He described her accomplishment as proof that young Nigerians can break barriers, set new records, and inspire a generation to dream bigger and strive for excellence.
"I heartily congratulate Miss Osasere Okundaye on her outstanding achievement of becoming Nigeria's youngest Chartered Accountant at just 16 years of age," Olawande stated. "Osasere has distinguished herself as a shining example of the limitless potential of Nigerian youth."
During a celebratory weekend visit to the General Overseer of the Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries (MFM), Dr. Daniel Olukoya, Okundaye revealed that her path to the record was fraught with setbacks, including an academic failure. After finishing secondary school early, her parents encouraged her to skip the wait for university admission by enrolling in ICAN's Accounting Technicians Scheme (ATS).
"Last year, I failed one of my final papers, unfortunately, which I had to rewrite earlier this year in May," Okundaye disclosed during her testimony. "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."
Reacting to her story, Dr. Olukoya commended her resilience, noting that her journey serves as a direct blueprint for young people worldwide. He emphasised that with clarity of vision and hard work, age can never be a barrier to achieving greatness.