Korede Titiloye, FUOYE 400-level student wins EY Young Tax Professional competition

Winner, his mother EY Partners

Korede Titiloye, a 400-level student of Accounting at the Federal University Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE), has emerged winner of EY Young Tax Professional of the Year (YTPY) 2025, earning national recognition for his outstanding analytical and problem-solving skills.

Korede’s outstanding performance demonstrated not only technical proficiency but also creativity and clarity in addressing global business challenges.

Akeem Ogunseni, partner and coordinator of the programme, speaking at the award ceremony held at EY’s Lagos Office Associate, said, the 2025 edition of EY YTPY Nigeria attracted 585 applications from over 40 higher institutions nationwide.

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This, he said, was following a rigorous multi-stage process, 374 candidates advanced from the preliminary stage.

Ogunseni noted that students were subjected to psychometric testing, written submissions on topical business issues, and virtual presentations on the various assessment exercises carried out.

Besides, he said that 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,” he emphasised.

Temitope Samagbeyi, EY Tax Partner, addressing the 10 finalists said being a top 10 out of 585 applicants is not a mean feat, while urging them to keep studying hard and show themselves that they could do more.

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“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.

Korede, the overall winner, who was visibly excited and thrilled, said he 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 believe 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,” he said.

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.

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It provides a platform for participants to demonstrate technical knowledge, analytical skills, and innovative thinking in areas critical to today’s business environment.

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.

Charles Ogwo is a proactive journalist, driving education, and business innovations for over 10 years.

He leads initiatives leveraging tech to enhance storytelling and build topnotch performing team.

Charles is passionate about harnessing technology to inform, engage and empower communities.

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