How I became a chartered accountant at 17 – Babcock student

At 17, Oluwatiseyitan Alabi, a 400-level Babcock University student, achieved what many adults only dreamt of: becoming a certified member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria. He tells AYOOLA OLASUPO about the inspiring journey of how he balanced academic demands, personal setbacks, and professional goals

How old are you, and what school do you attend?

I just clocked 18 years last December. I’m a final-year student studying Accounting at Babcock University. I’m passionate about God, Accounting and Finance. Like I said, I’m 18 years old now. I’m not the only child of my parents. I have a younger brother who is a science student. Unlike me, he believes in tech rather than accounting.

When exactly did you get the ICAN certification?

That was December last year before I clocked 18.

What inspired you to pursue Accounting?

Of course, we did Business Studies as a subject in junior secondary school. That was when I was in JSS 2 and JSS 3, and I wasn’t that bad because I was great at it. So, my parents just said, ‘Why not go for Accounting instead of going to the usual science that most people thought they wanted to go to?’ I just followed the movement, and here we are today.

Did you at any point disagree with your parents’ suggestion to study Accounting?

No, I’ve had an interest in it right from the start.

How did you manage to get inducted into the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria at 17?

After I completed my secondary education, there was a session called ATS (Accounting Technician Scheme) before writing the ICAN exam. So, I was reading for it, and when I got to school in 2022, I found out that the organised classes for ATS were awesome.

So, I joined the classes, wrote the exam, and by God’s grace, I passed ATS 1, ATS 2, and ATS 3. I was able to write the skills level for the ICAN exam in November 2023. I was reading for the ATS exams before I gained admission.

After the skills level, I failed one paper in November 2023, then I wrote it again in May 2024. I passed it and got to the final stage, the professional level, and by God’s grace, I passed.

Have you been sitting the exam before you clocked 17?

Yes. I started it when I was 16 years old, just a year after I finished secondary school.

At what point did you realise that there was a need for you to have an ICAN certification?

Well, ICAN is the biggest Accounting certification or qualification in Nigeria, and it is everybody’s dream to have it. The opportunity came for me to sit the exam with the support of my parents and all. Since it is the biggest thing, I just wanted to write it and see if I could get it.

How were you able to balance university coursework and ICAN professional studies?

In Accounting, some of the topics are related and interwoven. So, I focused more on reading for the ICAN exam. If I focused on reading for the ICAN exam, then schoolwork was also part of it. I read for that, but when it was time to focus on schoolwork, I also focused on that. It meant that there would be less time for me to play around and do some other things.

Was there any challenging moment for you while studying for ICAN?

There were some topics I couldn’t understand, but my teachers helped. When I said I failed a paper, I felt bad because I had never failed before, since I’ve been writing. So, when I failed, it was quite a discouraging moment, but thanks to God and my parents, who stood by me.

What went through your mind the moment you failed one of the exams?

Honestly, I had wanted to stop it. I was about to say that after my graduation, I would pick it up again because I was discouraged. I was just down trying to read what I had read in the past. I wasn’t even in the right mental state to pick it up again, but I thought there was no point in starting a project and not finishing it.

There was no use for that, so I talked to my parents, and they also advised me. They said there was no point in starting if that was what I would do. They said I should continue and keep striving for it, and that was how I kept on going.

Did your ICAN exam ever clash with the normal school examination period?

Not really. There was usually a month’s gap between the ICAN and school exams, so there was enough time for me to pick up schoolwork immediately and go to school.

For instance, if there’s an ICAN exam in November, and usually the school exam starts in December, there would be a month gap that I could easily read up and brush through everything that I had done in school for the semester.

What can you say about your academic performance as an undergraduate?

Throughout my academic journey as an undergraduate student of Accounting at Babcock University, I have been privileged to maintain a strong academic record. This accomplishment is not just a reflection of grades but of consistency, intentional effort, and a deep-rooted commitment to excellence.

From the beginning, I set out not just to succeed but to stand out. Accounting is a rigorous discipline, demanding attention to detail, analytical thinking, and a deep understanding of financial systems.

Among the many courses I encountered, Financial Management stood out as my favourite. I was drawn to it not only because of the complexity it presented but also because it required me to think critically and strategically, and that I believe defines leadership in the field of finance.

Achieving academic success has not come without its challenges. Like many students, there were moments of pressure, tight deadlines, and even courses that seemed overwhelming. However, with a combination of faith, discipline, and effective study methods, I’ve learnt to navigate these periods with resilience.

I believe that God is the ultimate source of wisdom, and I genuinely consider Him my number one strategy for success. I also made heavy use of YouTube tutorials and other digital resources to break down complex topics into understandable formats.

Teaching others has also played a crucial role in strengthening my understanding; the more I taught, the deeper my grasp of the material became. I draw a lot of motivation from a quote my dad often reminds me of: “Genius is 99 per cent perspiration and one per cent inspiration.”

That quote has stayed with me, constantly reminding me that excellence is not a gift but a result of continuous effort. It inspired me to push boundaries, study late into the night, ask more questions, and never settle for ‘just enough’.

Beyond academics, I actively tutor my peers, not for reward, but because I believe knowledge grows best when it is shared. It gives me immense joy to see those I help succeed to know that I’ve made a difference in someone else’s academic story.

How did your lecturers, friends, and colleagues contribute to the achievement?

They played a very big role. First of all, my parents were very vital, giving me strength, support, and guidance. Then our teachers were also very supportive of the fact that when we were sitting the exam, they taught us in line with the exam. The school organised ICAN classes for us to sit the exams. I had friends who also sat the exams, so we were reading together.

Were you the youngest among your friends who also wrote the ICAN exams?

Yes, I was.

Can you describe a moment when you had to work with people older or more experienced and how you were able to earn their respect and contribute meaningfully?

There was a period of holiday before the semester started when I was attending ICAN classes at home last year, and the people there with us were much older. The teachers were much older. How I gained their respect was that although I’m young, yes, I admit that, but they knew that I was striving for something, too.

They knew that for me to be there, we had the same goal. We were all trying to learn and work together towards achieving the goal of the exam, and I showed that I also knew something to an extent, and through that, I was able to gain their respect.

Did you experience any stigma or stereotypes about being the youngest among them?

Not really, and that was because I was already used to being the youngest among many people.

Why did you say so?

Most of my friends are older people who are maybe two years older than me.

Why do you prefer to keep older friends?

It just happened. I’m naturally drawn to talking to more people with higher kinds of experience, and of course, it has an impact on the way I see life. I believe people around me have great things in them. They are making me see that I’m more future-oriented now than just playing around and enjoying myself. I’m looking at the future because of the kind of people that are already around me.

Integrity is a key value in Accounting. Can you tell us about a time when you had to make a very difficult ethical decision?

I don’t think I’ve had that kind of ethical decision that would test my integrity. I don’t think I’ve come across that yet.

What areas of accounting are you most interested in for the future, and why?

I prefer Corporate Finance. I chose Corporate Finance because it is more dynamic and interesting than the typical auditing or taxation. For me, those are just the boring aspects of accounting.

Have you made any step in pursuing corporate finance?

Yes. I’m taking courses on Financial Analysis and Financial Modelling.

What global accounting certifications or advanced degrees are you considering next?

I’ll be considering ACCA (Association of Certified Chartered Accountants) for sure, and CFA (Certified Financial Analyst).

What would you say is your biggest personal growth or transformation so far?

My biggest personal growth was being able to build more confidence. Coming from a space of older people, sometimes you tend to be a bit timid, but looking back, I think I’ve learnt to be more confident, and to any young person out there, go for it, remain focused, and be determined to get your goal. Age is never a barrier to any goal.