A final year student of the University of Lagos, Moyosoreoluwa Dada, has been crowned the overall winner of the EY Young Tax Professional of the Year 2023 (YTPY) competition.
Dada, beat nine other finalists to emerge top in a fiercely contested competition, at the just concluded presentation of award certificates and gifts ceremony in Lagos.
Now in its 12th year running, the EY Global YTPY programme continues to demonstrate EY Tax’s commitment to the future of the tax profession by fostering the next generation of tax leaders.
The company said the programme was designed for undergraduate students in their pen-ultimate or final year who have a keen interest in taxation, or young tax professionals who have interned with EY for a duration of less than a year.
In his remarks during the presentation of award certificates and gifts to the top finalists at EY’s office in Lagos, the Director of the programme, Akeem Ogunseni, said the amazing talents uncovered in the course of the event renewed optimism that the tax profession’s future was very bright.
This assertion, he said, was drawn from the salient discoveries and recommendations made by the finalists on voluntary tax disclosures in Africa.
In addition, Ogunseni noted that the focus of YTPY, among others was to provide potential recruitment opportunities for EY as a means of contributing its own quota to the wider communities across the world.
EY West Africa’s Chief Operating Officer, Oluwabusiayo Layade, while lending his voice, congratulated the 10 top finalists and assured them that they were all winners.
He said: “Your success story is a glimpse into the future, and it shows what the future holds for each and every one of you. Some of you will be professors, doctors, lawyers, accountants, entrepreneurs, amidst other professions.
“Regardless of which career path you toe, the end result is to make you a better person for yourself; and your family and the country will be better for it. This aligns with EY’s business tagline of ‘Building a better working world’ for her people, business stakeholders, and communities at large.”
EY Tax Partner, Temitope Samagbeyi, who represented EY West Africa Tax Leader, Akinbiyi Abudu, encouraged the finalists to build on the confidence and content garnered at this event to reach the top of the tax profession.
In her remarks, Dada, the first-place winner, who was visibly excited, said, “I want to thank EY for the opportunity to participate in the competition. This is my first major competition, and the award means so much to me, because I am so much interested in Tax. It is a milestone in my career. I would also want to thank my parents for the support and encouragement.”
Other EY top management at the grand finale included EY Talent Leader, Jane Onobhayedo and EY Immigration Leader, Kayode Faboyede, both of whom gave pep talks to encourage the 10 finalists. Other dignitaries present were parents and guests of the finalists, as well as panel of assessors.
EY said in this year’s edition of the programme, at the submission deadline, 508 applicants drawn from 75 institutions across the country registered for the competition.
Following a rigorous process, the company explained that candidates at different stages of the competition were subjected to different screening criteria through aptitude tests (covering verbal, logical and quantitative reasoning skills), research, article writing and presentation of findings to an independent panel of assessors.