Adedeji Awobotu: Providing Unique Tuition in Professional Learning

King’s Crown Business School is one of the leading professional Accountancy and Stock broking tuition providers in Nigeria. The primary mission of the school is to prepare students for leadership, excellence and success. They believe that the best way to achieve this is to provide a personal experience through the transformation of their students into dynamic professionals with global perspective. The Director General of the school, Mr. Deji Awobotu has over ten years teaching experience in Financial Accounting, Financial Reporting, Financial Management and Corporate Reporting and he was the ACCA Programme Coordinator for Executive Business School. Deji is an Associate member of several Professional bodies including Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN), Institute of Portfolio & Debt Management, and Certified Fraud Examiner. He has attended several trainings both locally and internationally on Corporate Business Valuation, Bond Trading. Etc. Deji believes that Accounting, Marketing, Investment banking and Human resource professionals are the backbone of every business, and they should possess first-class management skills. In this interview with ExecutiveBrief, Deji spoke on his vision of driving change in the industry and the Focus of a CEO.

What influenced the establishment of King’s Crown Business School?
Kings Crown Business School was established as a direct response to the need and desire to realise the potential of professional skills and learning in Nigeria. Our focus is to provide opportunities for those skills to be developed and recognised through the pursuit of quality postgraduate studies. A strong alignment with other professional institutions is the key strategy to the achievement of our aims. It is our mission to prepare students for leadership, excellence and success. We believe that the best way to achieve this is to provide a personal experience for each student. We invest our efforts in transforming our students into dynamic professionals with a global perspective. Our groundbreaking programmes bring together academic knowledge and highly valued practical skills. They develop both professionalism and management competence, creating innovative leaders with the ability to succeed in challenging situations.

What were the initial challenges and how were you able to overcome them?
In terms of experience, we have the experience in coordinating and running a Business School. It is very challenging to get finances to support your vision. With the strategic business plan I developed, which is straight forward and simple coupled with gathered experience over the years, we were able to get investors who were willing and ready to partner with us in setting up King’s Crown Business School.

What unique factors stand your organisation out in the provision of tuition services in professional accountancy and stock broking? We believe that Accounting, Marketing, Investment banking and Human resource professionals are the backbone of businesses and they should possess first-class management skills. Our vision is to drive change through the industry by addressing both professional and managerial training needs. The KCBS’s unique and relevant programmes will bring great benefits to students, employers and the overall economy. We are proud to provide a vibrant, creative and inspiring atmosphere to develop student’s potentials. KCBS’s success is directly related to our ability to recruit and retain highly qualified and motivated professionals in all areas of the organisation. We have assembled a group of talented individuals who are rewarded for individual and team-oriented accomplishments. The KCBS environment is entrepreneurial in spirit and offers the excitement and creativity of a fast-paced start-up. KCBS’s leadership team sets the standards for ethical business and educational excellence. Whether we are helping a school leaver through AAT, assisting a sponsored student to qualify for ACCA, or preparing a financial services professional to qualify for the CFA or CIS, KCBS helps students achieve their educational and career goals within a desired time frame.

What is the involvement of Kings Crown Business School in International Financial Reporting? The Diploma in International Financial Reporting (DipIFR) is designed to develop financial experts’ knowledge of IFRS – providing an understanding of the concepts and principles which underpin them, and their application in the international marketplace. The qualification is intended as a conversion course for professional accountants already qualified or experienced in country specific financial reporting standards (e.g. Nigerian Statement of Accounting Standards (SAS). Professional accountants and auditors, who are qualified in accordance with national accounting standards, are eligible to take the qualification. Official documentation from employers confirming the work experience is required. Practitioners who may not yet be qualified, but who possesses a relevant degree plus two years' work experience or individuals with three years' work experience in finance environment or ACCA Certificate in International Financial Reporting plus two years' work experience can also apply. The DipIFR qualification is assessed by a single three-hour closed book written exam, which is held twice a year in June and December at ACCA's exam centres. At King’s Crown Business School, an ACCA Tuition Provider, we offer tuition and provide qualitative lectures in a serene learning environment for the Diploma in International Financial Reporting.

What is the procedure for registration for the Diploma in International Financial Reporting and the financial implications? You can apply to register for the Diploma in International Financial Reporting (DipIFR) at any time, however in order to sit for the exams at a specific session, ACCA will need to receive the delegates registration form and all supporting documentation by April 15 for June examinations and October 15 for the December examinations every year. These same dates apply to all requests for change of examination sessions and centres. The quickest way to register as a DipIFR student is to go online, however the supporting documentation is still required to finalise the application. In order to sit for exams at a specific session these will need to be received by ACCA by the closing dates above. Alternatively, King’s Crown Business School provides a platform in which delegates/students are assisted in perfecting their registration and submission of their supporting documentation.

Will studying for the DipIFR qualification count towards ACCA's Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Programme requirements? If you are an ACCA member, studying for another qualification can count towards your continuing professional development (CPD) as long as the qualification is relevant to your learning and development needs. One hour of learning equates to one hour of CPD. We would suggest that you use this as a guide when allocating yourself CPD units. It is anticipated that on average it will take 30 hours to work through the DipIFR course, and a further 12 hours to successfully complete the assessment. If you have exceeded your CPD requirements for any given year you can carry forward up to 21 verifiable units to the following year.

What is the difference between Certificate in International Financial Reporting (CertIFR) and Certificate in International Auditing (CertIA)? The Certificate in International Financial Reporting is an ideal qualification to help you develop an understanding of IFRS or gain formal recognition for your existing IFRS skills and knowledge. Cost effective and flexible, CertIFR provides a comprehensive introduction to the principles of IFRS and is delivered entirely online while the Certificate in International Auditing covers the principles of International Standards on Auditing through online tuition and objective testing assessment. The course offers a fast and flexible way to study through interactive online study. The target audience is the professional accountants and auditors, qualified in accordance with their national accounting standards. However, there are no formal entry requirements imposed and therefore those with experience, but no formal qualifications in accounting and auditing are eligible to register for this programme.

What other programmes are you preparing students/candidates for?
We prepare students for ACCA Exams for those who have OND, ATS, BSc, MBA, MSc, and equivalents and for Matured Students from 21 years without any qualifications. On successful completion of the examination, candidates will be awarded BSc in Applied Accounting from Oxford Brookes University, UK plus ICAN Membership Certificate after undergoing an orientation/Induction Seminar. The school also prepares candidates for ICAN examinations and its eligibility covers those who possess ATS, HND, BSc, MBA, MSc and equivalents and Chartered Institute of Management Accountant {CIMA (UK)} examinations with eligibility covering WASC, NECO, HND, BSc, MBA, MSc & equivalents and finally for now candidates are also prepared for the Chartered Institute of Stockbrokers (CIS) examinations for those who possess HND, BSc, MBA, MSc, & equivalents.
It is important to note that on successful completion of CIMA (UK) examination, candidates will be awarded ICAN Membership Certificate after undergoing an Orientation/Induction Seminar.

What advice do you have for parents, students and the government?
The students should see education as a means of moulding them in other to achieve their life objectives. It is equally important for them to know that it is only qualitative education that can give them a guaranteed future. In the light of this, I would also strongly advice parents that some students have actually identified what they want to do and they need the utmost support of the parents to ensure they achieve these goals. When these parents support these students’ ideas or visions, their goals would be achieved. For the regulators, we strongly believe that the infrastructure that we have in schools should be that which would make the students to be relevant internationally. A situation where computers are non existent in some of our tertiary institutions for example, how do we expect the products of these schools to compete with their contemporaries globally? We strongly recommend that our regulators like the Ministry of Education should ensure that both public and private Institutions of learning meets the basic standard, in terms of library, computer systems, conducive environment, to achieve the objective for the students. Send Comment » | Read Comments »