Wema Bank has unveiled 12-year-old Chiderije Mbah as its One-Day Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer for May 27, 2025, in commemoration of 2025 Children’s Day.

In a statement on Tuesday, Mbah was unveiled at the bank’s headquarters in Lagos, Marina, marking the lender’s commitment to investing in the future even as it marks 80 years of legacy and impact.

Mbah was chosen after he shared a spirited video explaining his dream of leading a bank and his vision for making finance more fun and accessible for children.

His entry, submitted through a social media challenge, stood out among dozens who applied to be in the position.

The One-Day Wema Bank MD/CEO was the high point of a broader Children’s Day initiative by Wema Bank, which invited children across the country to participate in an online challenge.

To qualify, children were asked to post a short video dressed in Wema colours and share the banking role they aspired to, while either holding or opening a Royal Kiddies Account (for ages 0–12) or an ALAT Xplore Wallet (for teenagers 13–17).

The campaign blended fun with purpose, introducing thousands of young Nigerians to early financial education and the power of dreaming big.

On Tuesday, Mbah received a purple-carpet welcome and took his seat at the helm of the bank for a day packed with leadership, learning, and excitement. He was given a guided tour of the head office, held an executive briefing session in the boardroom and also addressed senior executives of the bank.

“This is the best day of my life,” said Mbah. “Wema Bank made me feel important. I am learning so much about being a leader and how banking works. I’ll tell all my friends to open a Wema Bank Royal Kiddies Account so they can also start learning how to save, and maybe one day, they can be MD too!”

Speaking on the initiative, Wema Bank’s Managing Director/CEO, Moruf Oseni, said, “Our 80th anniversary is a time to reflect on where we’ve been and where we’re going, knowing fully well that the future belongs to the young stars like Mbah. Today’s activity is one of our ways of showing that we believe in the children, that we’re listening, and that we’re committed to helping them succeed financially, personally, and professionally all the way.”