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After an intense and competitive process, Korede Titiloye, a 400-level Accounting student from the Federal University of Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE) emerged as the winner of EY Young Tax Professional of the Year (YTPY) competition 2025.
Korede’s outstanding performance demonstrated not only technical proficiency but also creativity and clarity in addressing global business challenges.
The EY Young Tax Professional of the Year (YTPY) programme is a global initiative designed to identify and nurture exceptional talent among undergraduate students in their penultimate and final years, as well as young professionals who have interned with EY for less than a year.
It provides a platform for participants to demonstrate technical knowledge, analytical skills, and innovative thinking in areas critical to today’s business environment.
Speaking at the award ceremony held at EY’s Lagos Office in Lagos, Akeem Ogunseni, Associate Partner and Coordinator of the programme, said, the 2025 edition of EY YTPY Nigeria attracted 585 applications from over 40 higher institutions nationwide. Following a rigorous multi-stage process, 374 candidates advanced from the preliminary stage.
On the various assessment exercises carried out, Akeem noted that students were subjected to psychometric testing, written submissions on topical business issues, and virtual presentations.
He added at the semi-final stage; candidates were tasked with a complex case study requiring deep research and strategic recommendations across diverse business domains. Finally, the top 10 candidates progressed to the grand finale, where they presented their solutions to a distinguished panel of judges.
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Addressing the 10 finalists, Temitope Samagbeyi, EY Tax Partner, said being a top 10 out of 585 applicants is not a mean feat, while urging them to keep studying hard and show themselves approved that they could do more.
“Continue to put your best foot forward as the outcome of today’s challenge solely depend on you. You are a step ahead. Keep working very hard because you have a promising future ahead of you”, he said.
For the ultimate, Korede, who was visibly excited and thrilled, he said feels fulfilled being the overall winner in the subject matter he was not too familiar with.
“Today, I feel very fulfilled and grateful to God. As early as 2024 when I qualified as a chartered accountant, I had to self-study in 2024 having failed taxation the first time. I have learnt to be resilient and belief in myself. I am using this opportunity to say a very big thanks to EY for the big platform and to all the finalists for raising the bar.”
As the overall winner of this year’s competition, Korede will represent EY Nigeria at the global level and enjoy benefits such as mentorship, internship opportunities with the EY Tax team, and exclusive networking sessions, among other prizes. Runners-up will also receive internships, branded materials, and certificates of participation, while finalists will gain access to valuable networking opportunities and career development resources.
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