Children’s Day: Wema Bank MD Donates One Day Salary To Winner Of Wema 1-Day MD/CEO Initiative

The MD/CEO of Wema Bank, Mr Moruf Oseni, has donated his May 27 day salary to Chiderije Mbah, a 12-year-old child who emerged the winner in the Wema Bank 1-day MD/CEO initiative for Children’s Day.

The Wema Bank 1-day MD/CEO initiative was launched by the Bank on May 21, 2025, calling on Nigerian children to showcase their potential for leadership and career success in the banking industry by uploading video submissions where they share their ideal role in the bank and why they deserve to win.

Among dozens of entries received, 12-year-old Chiderije Mbah’s entry sparked outstanding recommendations for his embodiment of the role of MD/CEO, leading to his emergence as the winner and an exclusive opportunity to become Wema Bank’s MD/CEO for Children’s Day.

From his grand reception at the Bank’s Head Office Facility in Lagos to one-on-one meetings with top executives of the Bank, Nigerians across the world applauded in awe as Wema Bank set an unrivalled precedent by walking the talk in empowering children to be the leaders of tomorrow.

Oseni, however, gave out his May 27 salary to Mbah, encouraging him to keep up the great work and work hard towards truly becoming an MD/CEO shortly.

Officially handing over the symbols of office to Chiderije, Oseni shed light on the Bank’s motivation for annually commemorating Children’s Day in such a grand and intentional manner.

He said: “As a Bank, our mission is to empower lives through innovation, and this is a mission we are committed to seeing through from cradle to grave, as encapsulated in our creed, ‘With You, All The Way’.

This is why Children’s Day is so important to us. Every great man, woman, or even institution was once a child, so to forge the leaders of tomorrow, we need to begin today.

“We can all agree that Wema Bank has been walking the talk over the past 8 decades, thinking out of the box, and creating innovative ways to empower children for the right future.

But today, in commemoration of Children’s Day 2025, we are taking things a step further and giving the leaders of tomorrow a platform to lead today.

“As Chiderije will be carrying out my duties for today, it is only right that he earns my one-day salary today. The Wema way is ‘work hard, reward hard’, and as MD/CEO for today, Chiderije will experience it first-hand.

We hope that this will inspire not just him, but every other child to put in the good work and make us proud. Happy Children’s Day, from Wema Bank.”

Expressing gratitude for the thoughtful gesture, Mbah promised to make Wema Bank proud.

He said: “Thank you very much for trusting me with this great opportunity, and for always looking out for the children.

I am proud to be a part of the Wema Bank family, the bank that not only supports our parents in raising us the right way but also empowers us with the tools and guidance that we need to become financially smart as we grow older.

Today has shown me that the sky is just the starting point for every child, and I am excited to spread the word to other children.

I look forward to learning from you, the experts, and getting more insights into what it means to be a leader, especially for an organisation like Wema Bank, which has stood strong for 80 years.

Thank you again for giving me your time and trusting me with this important responsibility. I will make Wema Bank proud.”