Baze University Wins Chartered Accountants’ Business Leader Challenge

A team from Baze University, Abuja, has emerged winner of the 2025 Chartered Global Management Accountants (CGMA) Business Leader Challenge after recording the highest points at the grand finale held recently in Lagos.

The competition took place at the Nigerian-British Chamber of Commerce building in Lekki, where the Baze University team scored 296 points to defeat Covenant University and Thomas Adewunmi University. The victory earned the team the star prize of N1 million.

The CGMA Business Leader Challenge is organised by the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) and is designed to identify and nurture aspiring finance and business leaders among university students. The competition requires participating teams to analyse real-life business problems and present practical solutions before a panel of Chartered Global Management Accountants and other professionals in accounting, finance and business.

According to the organisers, the initiative provides young Nigerian talents with a platform to develop leadership, decision-making and critical thinking skills, while also exposing them to professional standards in finance and business management.

The 2025 edition of the challenge began in October and featured 60 teams drawn from 10 universities across the country. Prizes for the competition included N1 million cash reward, access to the CGMA Finance Leadership Programme and internship opportunities with leading corporate organisations.

Speaking on the competition, Ijeoma Anadozie, Country Director of the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants and the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants, expressed satisfaction with the event’s outcome and commended all participating teams, judges, and sponsors.

She said CIMA would continue to support the development of future leaders in finance and business, adding that the CGMA Business Leader Challenge remains a key platform for engaging young people and showcasing their talents.

Baze University’s win marks a significant achievement for the institution, which has consistently performed strongly in previous editions of the competition. The university reached the finals in 2023 but fell short of victory. Its 2025 triumph places it ahead of 60 competing teams nationwide.