Wema Bank Names 10‑Year‑Old Chimamanda Ozoakpata Winner of One‑Day MD/CEO Competition

As part of its 2026 Children’s Day celebrations, Wema Bank announced 10‑year‑old Chimamanda Diamond Ozoakpata as the winner of the 2026 Wema Bank One‑Day MD/CEO Children’s Day initiative.

Wema Bank is Nigeria’s oldest indigenous national bank and the pioneer of Africa’s first fully digital bank, ALAT.

Launched in 2025, the Wema Bank One‑Day MD/CEO challenge is an industry first that gives children across Nigeria a platform to express their ambitions, tap into their unique potential, and gain hands‑on insight into the responsibilities and successes of a future career.

The inaugural edition saw 12‑year‑old Chiderije Mbah become the bank’s first One‑Day MD/CEO. This year, 10‑year‑old Chimamanda Diamond Ozoakpata, Head Girl at Redeemers Foundation Nursery and Primary School, broke new ground by becoming the first female One‑Day MD/CEO after her 1‑minute video entry received over 50,000 views.

During the ceremony, Moruf Oseni, the substantive MD/CEO of Wema Bank, presented the insignia of office to Chimamanda and explained the inspiration behind the initiative.

“At our core is a deep‑seeded drive for inspiring children and showing them that they have what it takes to fulfil their ambition,” he said. “For this reason, we launched the One‑Day MD/CEO initiative in 2025, giving children the opportunity to step into the demanding yet inspiring role of MD/CEO at one of Nigeria’s longest‑standing institutions, Wema Bank. The impact has been phenomenal, and this year we decided to open that opportunity to another child.”

“It is with great pleasure that I have with me here, 10‑year‑old Chimamanda Diamond Ozoakpata, this year’s record‑breaking leader. Today, I am handing over the reins of leadership to Chimamanda, who will become the MD/CEO of Wema Bank for today, in celebration of Children’s Day.”

“On behalf of the Board and Management of Wema Bank, I, Moruf Oseni, by the power vested in me as MD/CEO of Wema Bank, do hereby hand over the role of one‑day MD/CEO to our star, Diamond Chimamanda, for today, Monday, May 25th, 2026. Congratulations, I trust you will make us proud!”

Accepting the mantle, Chimamanda thanked Wema Bank for believing in her and for providing this unique opportunity.

“Thank you, Sir, for trusting me with this great opportunity, for always looking out for the children, and for making our success a priority at Wema Bank,” she said. “I am proud to be a part of the Wema Bank family, not just because of the honour bestowed on me today but also because Wema Bank has shown how committed it is to supporting our parents and empowering children like me with the tools and guidance that we need to become financially smart.”

“Today, I have the honour of being the one‑day MD/CEO of Nigeria’s oldest indigenous and most innovative bank, Wema Bank plc. This is just one of the many ways that Wema Bank celebrates Children’s Day, and I am truly grateful.”

As her first act in office, Chimamanda signed off on three new rewards for children and teens:

• Birthday Cash Gifts of N5,000 and N10,000 each for children turning 5 and 10 years respectively between May 25, 2026 and May 25, 2027;
• A N100,000 reward for the top 100 students in the National Common Entrance Exam starting next month;
• The launch of the Evolve school tour‑STEM challenge for children and teens.

All rewards are available to active Wema Bank customers who hold Royal Kiddies Accounts for their children.

Other highlights of Wema Bank’s 2026 Children’s Day celebration included a grand event at the bank’s Head Office on May 25, 2026, the allocation of N500,000 in cash rewards to three children at the event, and the official launch of the Wema Bank Money Adventures financial literacy book for children ages six and up.