The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN), Ojo, Badagry, Agbara (OBA) district Tuesday mentored over 400 students across 27 secondary schools within the district in Lagos state.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the students were mentored by Fellow Chartered Accountants (FCAs) at the “2019 Catch Them Young’’ programme organised by the ICAN OBA district at Adeniran Ogunsanya College of Education (AOCOED), Ijanikin.
Chairman, ICAN OBA District, Mrs Aina Olapeju, said the programme was organised to sensitise the students on the path of becoming chartered accountants.
“Some of these children after graduation from the secondary school may not even know what to do or which course to offer to study Accountancy.
“Some students, who wish to become Chartered Accountants, may not also know the process to follow and that is why we organise this as a driving force to accomplishing their dreams,’’ she said.
According to her, any student who wishes to become an Accountant must be good at calculating figures and must devote time and commitment to understand it.
Olapeju said being proficient in accounting requires full concentration and unrelenting efforts.
Second vice chairman, ICAN, OBA District, Mr Taiwo Folaranmi, said over 400 students across 27 public and private secondary schools in the state were invited for the event.
Folarami said the programme was organised in a bid to guide the future of the younger generation and also make a provision for them to have a better leap than the older generation.
“ICAN’s plan is to quickly put them in the fold and motivate them that there is a future in education by introducing them to the ICAN professional examination such as the Accounting Technician of West Africa (ATWA) of the institute.
“As an Accountant, the sky is not your limit, as you can achieve anything you want to achieve with your certificate,’’ he said.
Folaranmi said the professional examination would avail the beneficiaries the opportunity to become an associate chartered accountant and then proceed to become a full chartered accountant.
He said ATWA was controlled by all West African countries and is globally acceptable because ICAN had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with many professional bodies across the world.
“ICAN is a member of the International Federation of Accountants (IFAC), Pan-African Federation of Accountants (PAFA) and we are also a mentoring professional body for all Accounting professional bodies in Africa. So our programmes are globally acceptable,” he said.
The ICAN boss said the basic requirement for interested candidate is five Ordinary Level credits including Mathematics and English Language.
He urged parents to register their children for the programme, as it was beneficial and affordable.
Vice chairman, organising committee, “Catch Them Young’’, Pastor Oluwafemi Aiyeolowo, said the 2019 programme was the second edition of the event, aimed at providing students with information required for them to pursue a career in Accounting.
Aiyeolowo said the idea was to market ICAN programmes especially to students who were not able to gain admission into higher institutions and to all and sundry.
Counsellor, Education District 5, Lagos, Mrs Doyin Ekundayo, urged the students to consider their interest, ability, aptitude, personality, cost, determination, availability of fund and parental influence in choosing their life career.
Ekundayo also warned them not to derail from their desired profession and advised parents to support the vision of their children, as this was key to attaining fulfilment in life.
A student participant from Damvic Academy, MTN Badagry, Anita Jeffery, said the programme had changed her perspective about Accounting and ICAN and motivated her to be focused on her studies and ambition in life.
Other ICAN Fellows at the event include Mr Bello Ayodele and Mrs Hilda Ozor, council member and chairman, Students Affairs Committee respectively.
