Wema Bank Plc has appointed 10-year-old Chinmamanda Ozoakpata as its One-Day Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer for 2026, as part of activities marking this year’s Children’s Day celebration.
The bank said the initiative, introduced in 2025, was designed to inspire children across Nigeria by providing them with a platform to showcase their ambitions, leadership potential and career aspirations through hands-on exposure to executive leadership responsibilities.
Chinmamanda, the Head Girl of Redeemers Foundation Nursery and Primary School, emerged winner of the 2026 edition after her one-minute video entry attracted more than 50,000 views, making her the first female participant to occupy the role since the initiative was launched.
Speaking during the official handover ceremony held at the bank’s headquarters on May 25, 2026, the substantive Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of the bank Moruf Oseni said the programme reflects the institution’s commitment to nurturing future leaders and empowering children to pursue their dreams.
According to him, the initiative was conceived to expose children to leadership opportunities and encourage them to believe in their abilities regardless of age.
“At our core is a deep-seated drive for inspiring children and showing them that they have what it takes to fulfil their ambitions. 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,” Oseni said.
He noted that the impact of the maiden edition encouraged the bank to sustain the programme and broaden participation among children nationwide.
“It is with great pleasure that I hand over the reins of leadership to Chimamanda, who becomes the MD/CEO of Wema Bank for today in celebration of Children’s Day. We believe she will continue to inspire other children to dream big and strive for excellence,” he added.
Accepting the symbolic mantle of leadership, Chinmamanda expressed appreciation to the bank for the opportunity and pledged to make the institution proud during her tenure as one-day CEO.
She commended the bank for prioritising financial literacy and youth empowerment initiatives aimed at preparing children for future success.
According to her, the bank’s commitment to supporting children and families through education and financial inclusion initiatives distinguishes it as a forward-looking institution.
As her first official act in office, the young CEO approved three new reward initiatives targeted at children and teenagers who maintain active Royal Kiddies Accounts with the bank.
The initiatives include birthday cash rewards of N5,000 and N10,000 respectively for children turning five and 10 years old between May 25, 2026 and May 2027; a N100,000 reward package for the top 100 students in the National Common Entrance Examination beginning next month; and the introduction of the Evolve School Tour STEM Challenge designed to promote science, technology, engineering and mathematics education among young Nigerians.
The bank also announced additional highlights of its 2026 Children’s Day celebration, including the distribution of N500,000 cash rewards to three children during the event and the official launch of the “Wema Bank Money Adventures” financial literacy book targeted at children aged six years and above.
It said the initiative aligns with its broader strategy of promoting youth development, financial literacy and innovation while strengthening engagement with the younger generation.
