12-year-old Mbah is One-Day MD/CEO of Wema Bank

Twelve year-old Chiderije Mbah, has emerged winner of the Wema Bank One-Day MD/CEO initiative, organised as part of the financial institution’s Children’s Day activities.

The initiative, created to spotlight young talent and inspire leadership ambition in children across Nigeria, saw dozens of entries from aspiring child leaders.

Participants were asked to submit video pitches, detailing their ideal role in the bank and why they believed they deserved the opportunity.  Chiderije’s submission stood out for its eloquence, clarity of vision and passion for leadership, earning him the prestigious honor of leading Nigeria’s oldest indigenous and most innovative bank, Wema Bank, for a day.

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On the morning of his takeover, Chiderije arrived at the Bank’s Head Office in Lagos to a purple carpet reception and a warm welcome bytop executives. From meeting with key management members to making real-time executive decisions, he was given full exposure to the demands and responsibilities of a CEO. But he did not stop at merely observing, he came prepared to lead.

Chiderije’s bold debut was followed by a deeply symbolic moment: the official handover of the MD/CEO insignia from Wema Bank’s substantive Managing Director/CEO, Mr. Moruf Oseni, who commended the young leader’s courage and foresight.

In a surprise gesture that left many in awe, Mr. Oseni announced he would be giving his one-day salary for May 27 to Chiderije, as a reward for taking on the responsibilities of the day. “The Wema way is ‘work hard, reward hard,’ and as MD/CEO for today, Chiderije will experience it firsthand,” he said.

The MD/CEO went on to highlight Wema Bank’s commitment to life-long empowerment, captured in the Bank’s enduring creed: “With You, All The Way.” He reaffirmed the Bank’s belief that empowering children today lays the foundation for a better Nigeria, and a more inclusive, visionary financial sector.

“Every great man, woman, or even institution was once a child,” Oseni remarked. “If we are truly committed to shaping the future, we must start by empowering children today. This is why Children’s Day is important to Wema Bank as a celebration and a serious leadership development opportunity.”

Chiderije’s first act as MD/CEO was to announce four new special rewards aimed at empowering Nigeria’s youth. The exciting rewards for children and teenagers are free ALAT Xplore Personalized Debit Cards for all teenagers between May 27 to June 30, 2025, N2,000 cashback for every new Royal Kiddies Account (ages 0–12) opened from May 27 to June 30.

Others are an extra 1per cent interest rate on all balances in existing and new Royal Kiddies and ALAT Xplore accounts between May 27 to June 30, and free 1GB of data for teens who register on the ALAT Xplore app from May 27 to June 30.

“I’m very grateful to Wema Bank for trusting me with this great opportunity. I have had the best day experiencing Wema Bank from within as the one-day MD/CEO for Children’s Day, and I wanted more children to enjoy like I have. So, to make this occasion even more special, I decided to commission some special rewards,” said Chiderije as he announced the new offers. “And I’m happy to launch these special rewards to help more children and teenagers like me save, learn, and grow their dreams through Wema Bank.”

=The One-Day MD/CEO initiative is part of Wema Bank’s broader suite of youth-focused solutions which include the Royal Kiddies Account for children aged 0–12 and the ALAT Xplore App for teenagers aged 13–17; both of which help parents instill smart financial habits in their children from an early age while empowering young users with tools for saving, budgeting, and learning.

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