Seventeen year-old Oluwatiseyitan Mishael Alabi, a 400 level student of the Department of Accounting at the Babcock University, Ilisan Remo is now a Chartered Accountant.
He is one of the newly inducted 1851 Chartered Accountants at the 75th induction ceremony held at the ICAN Centre Amuwo-Odofin during the week.
In an interview, he said that achieving such great feat at that age is a dream come true.
“Honestly, it feels surreal. I am incredibly grateful to God for this achievement. Qualifying at 17 is a dream come true, and it fills me with joy, pride, and a deep sense of relief. It’s proof that with determination and the right support system, age is no barrier to excellence.”
On what inspires him to pursue the qualifications so early in life, he said that his interest in accounting grew stronger in secondary school and was also inspired by his parents who saw the potential in him.
“I realized that ICAN would not only solidify my foundation in the profession but also give me a significant head start in my career especially qualifying before completing the university degree.”
He noted that what helped him stayed focus is, discipline, faith, and a strong support system.
Dr Nma Yahaya Haruna, Vice President of ICAN, (left); Oluwatiseyitan Mishael Alabi (middle); and Davidson Alaribe, Diamond ICAN President (right) while presenting an award of recognition to Oluwatiseyitan at the induction ceremony in Lagos.
“I created a study timetable and stuck to it as much as possible. I also made sure to balance my studies with rest and prayer. Surrounding myself with encouraging people, my parents and friends who believed in me, really kept me going.
“There were moments when the workload felt like too much or when I doubted myself especially when juggling school and professional studies. There were times I felt like giving up especially after having a reference in one of the papers in skills level.
“Encouraging words from my parents and divine strength from God helped me get back on track,” he said.
Speaking on the journey, he said that, he began preparing for ICAN right after his secondary school exams.
“I started with the ATS (Accounting Technicians Scheme) and fortunately, my school conducted classes for it. This laid a strong foundation, and then moved on to the professional levels where it was more of self-learning; although I attended a lecture center for a period of time. The process was intense but manageable with consistency and a good support network.
“My parents were my biggest supporters. They believed in me even when it seemed ambitious to take on such a big challenge so young. I also had amazing lecturers in school and tutors at my ICAN center who guided me with patience and shared their own stories, which motivated me even more.”
Going forward he said that he plans to complete his bachelor’s degree in accounting and gain practical experience in the field.
“Long-term, I hope to build a career in corporate finance and advisory, and by the grace of God, launch my own financial consulting firm to support young entrepreneurs and startups in managing their finances,” he added.
