By Peter Egwuatu

A global professional services firm, Ernst & Young, EY Nigeria, has commenced ‘Young Tax Professional of the Year’ competition.

EY Nigeria introduced the programme three years ago, primarily to identify key talents, as well as groom the next generation of leaders in the tax profession, from pen-ultimate and final year students in tertiary institutions across the 36 states of the nation and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.

According to EY, in this year’s edition of the competition, 425 applications, drawn from 53 tertiary institutions across the country, were received. Following a rigorous selection process at different stages of the program, involving logical and quantitative reasoning skills, research, article writing and case studies, 274 were shortlisted; out of which these numbers were further scaled down to 57 (at the quarter final stage) and to 30 (at the semi stage).

At the end, only 10 gladiators made it to the final stage.   Following the presentation of findings to an independent panel of assessors, these finalists were invited to the EY Nigeria office in Lagos for the grand finale, to receive awards and presentation of certificates and gifts.

The 10 finalists include Daniel Adegboye (University of Lagos); Emmanuella Mafe (Covenant University), Kolawole Olaniyan (University of Lagos), Nahomi Okikiri (University of Lagos), Nnamdi Ugo Chukwu (University of Lagos), Olamide Emida (University of Lagos), Oshio Samuel (Covenant University), Precious Shoyebo (Obafemi Awolowo University), Tomiwa Adeyeri (Ekiti State University), and Uyodhu Agadaga (Nile University, Abuja).

Ultimately, Miss Uyodhu Agadaga, a final year student at Nile University, Abuja, was crowned the overall winner.