The best way to get recognition as an accountant is to become a Chartered Accountant. To become one, you need to register with an Accounting body.
As an Accountant who wants to get chartered in Nigeria, you need to know how to register for ICAN (Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria).
We have has put down what you need to know about ICAN and what you need to do to register in this ICAN Registration Step by Step Process, Requirement, and Setup Guideline write-up.
ICAN is not only for Nigerians, but they have also become popular in different countries including the UK.
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About ICAN – Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria
The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria is a professional accountancy body in Nigeria. It is also one of the two professional accountancy associations with the regulatory authority in Nigeria, the other being the Association of National Accountants of Nigeria.
ICAN was created by an Act of Parliament No. 15 of 1 September 1965 from existing accounting and auditing organizations including the Association of Accountants in Nigeria (AAN). Its mission statement is: “to produce world-class chartered accountants, regulate and continuously enhance their ethical standards and technical competence in the public interest”.
The Council, Board, and Committee structure of ICAN governs the body as a whole. The Governing Council is responsible for the administration and general management of the Institute. It also gives policy direction through its oversight functions and holds its meetings, which are largely paperless, at least once a month.
Over the years, ICAN has become a large community of accountants that has certified more than 38,000 public accountants working in different sectors of the economy.
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ICAN Exams
ICAN Nigeria offers two types of exams. The first type is that of professional exams and the second type is that of the Accounting Technician Scheme(ATS).
Professional Exams
It is aimed at holders of a degree or national diploma in any discipline from accredited schools, holders of the ICAN AAT diploma or any other qualification for the time being approved by the Council.
Professional Student Approved Certificates
The following are the approved certificates or qualifications also accepted by ICAN for intending professional students.
Accounting Technician Scheme(ATS)
The goal of the Accounting Technicians Scheme West Africa (ATSWA) program is to produce middle-level Accounting Technicians within the West African sub-region.
The objectives of ATSWA are to:
However, this program is for those who have obtained five O’ level credits (math and English included) in two sessions or less.
ICAN Requirements
If you are eligible for ICAN registration, then, you are to provide the Council accepts the following minimum entry requirements for the different exams:
For Professional students
1. The degree of any University or Higher National Diploma of any Polytechnic accredited by the Council.
2. Any other qualification for the time being approved by the Council.
For ATSWA students
1. Five (5) credit passes in any subject including English Language and Mathematics in the West Africa School Certificate Examination, General Certificate of Education or Senior School Certificate of Education, NECO equivalent not more than two sittings or NABTEB.
2. Ordinary National Diploma of any Polytechnic recognized by the Council of the Institute
3. National Certificate in Education (NCE) from any College of Education.
In addition, if you are interested in the ICAN exam registration or the ICAN registration in its entirety, read on. We will inform you all about this, including the topic of ICAN’s online registration.
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ICAN Registration
There are two routes to become an accountant with ICAN. It’s either you join as a professional student or as an Accounting Technicians Scheme West Africa (ATSWA) student.
As A Professional Student
In order to register as a professional student with the Institute, an applicant must hold a qualification, not below a University degree or its equivalent.
How to Register For ICAN As A Professional Student
As an eligible applicant for ICAN registration, you are to:
- Pay a professional examination registration fee is ₦7000 (bank charges not included) by paying directly at any commercial bank in Nigeria, WEB-PAY or QUICK-TELLER on the ICAN website.
- After payment, use the transaction reference and receipt number to complete your form online on the ICAN website. Applicants can continue their registration by clicking on the link: http://icanig.org/RPlogin.php
- Get a colored passport photograph of yourself. Scan it and add it to the registration form. Then click on submit after completing the form.
- Print out the completed form and sign it.
- Find a chartered accountant sponsor/referee to endorse & certify your application form and credentials on completion. Also, provide their name, membership number, and contact number.
- Your application will not be complete without a copy of your WASC certificate, the PIN voucher, two certified passport photographs, three empty envelopes with your address and N50 stamp on each of them, a copy of your birth certificate and the original of the bank teller.
Supporting Documents:
Applicants are to attach the following documents on application and also, submit the hard copies to any ICAN office close to them:
- Original copy of the pay direct receipt/transaction reference
- Certified photocopies of your credentials and educational qualifications and any of (NYSC discharged certificate, call-up letter or students’ academic transcripts). The transcripts should be addressed to the Registrar/Chief Executive of the Institute.
- Two certified passport photographs.
- Three empty envelopes with your address and N50 stamp on each of them.
After this, your registration will be complete. Furthermore, you can proceed to check your Exam/Financial Status on the page by clicking on the link below: here
However, if you have any questions or problems, you can send an e-mail to professionalexams@ican.org.ng.
As An ATSWA Student
The ATSWA curriculum is divided into 3 parts and each part consists of four (4) subjects. ICAN awards the AAT certificate upon the successful completion of the Accounting Technicians Scheme of West Africa (ATSWA) Examinations.
Furthermore, the duration for completing the examination of the 3 levels is a minimum of 15 months for those with an ordinary level certificate and 6 to 12 months for those with a higher certificate but not a degree certificate. However, the exam takes place twice a year, that is, March and September.
How to Register For ICAN As An ATSWA Student:
- Pay an ATSWA registration fee is ₦6000 (bank charges not included) by paying directly at any commercial bank in Nigeria or through WEB-PAY or QUICK-TELLER on the ICAN website.
- Use the transaction reference and receipt number to generate your PIN and SERIAL NUMBER here.
- Get a colored passport-format photo of yourself. Scan it and add it to the registration form. Then, click to submit after completing the form.
- Print out the completed form and sign it.
- Find a chartered accountant or an Associate Accounting Technician (AAT) sponsor/referee to endorse & certify your application form and credentials on completion. Also, provide their name, membership number, and contact number.
Supporting Documents:
Attach the below documents and submit the hard copies to any of our offices;
- Original copy of the pay direct receipt/transaction reference
- Certified photocopies of your credentials any (NECO, WASCE, NABTEB, OND, NCE)
- A copy of your birth certificate
- Two certified passport photographs.
- Three empty envelopes with your address and N50 stamp on each of them.
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How to Register to Become A Member
- Visit any commercial bank in Nigeria and pay the Induction fee of N90,000.
- Get a receipt for your payment and go to the ICAN website through the link: http://www.icanonline-ngr.com/paydirect to start the registration.
- Fill in your deposit slip and receipt numbers in the required fields to generate PIN and serial numbers.
- On the registration page, type in your Student Registration Number, serial number, and PIN.
- Fill in the form and upload a good-quality passport-format photo of yourself. Submit your application.
- On completion, print out the form and get your referees to sign it.
- Attach the documents you can find at this link.
- Submit the finished form and the evidence of payment to ICAN, Plot 16, Idowu Taylor Street, Victoria Island, Lagos, or any ICAN office close to you.
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Recognised ICAN Tuition Centres | Tutorial Centres
ICAN tuition centers are set up to help you prepare for your Exams. At these ICAN tutorial centers, you get to know more about the dos and don’ts of ICAN, its registration, examinations and how to answer questions.
The institute is in charge of the recognition/re-recognition exercise for the purpose of assessing the facilities and standard of tuition delivery at all recognized tuition centers and the new ones.
Click on the link below for the list of recognized tuition centers close to you, their address, email, and other necessary information:
ICAN-recognised_tuition-centres
To learn more about the recognition/re-recognition exercise by ICAN, click on the link below: here
How Much Does ICAN Cost in Nigeria?
ICAN exam is the exam that allows you become a chartered accountant in Nigeria. You can even say; it’s your license to practice accountancy at the highest level. ‘
However, before you can sit for the ICAN exams, you will need to fulfill one of the important requirements which is paying the registration fee.
There are different fees individuals have to pay for their ICAN exams all depending on the level they are taking an exam in.
| Levels | Rates | ||||
| 1 paper | 2 papers | 3 papers | 4 papers | 5 papers | |
| Foundation | 22,500.00 | 28,700.00 | 34,900.00 | 41,100.00 | 47,300.00 |
| Skills | 31,700.00 | 41,700.00 | 51,700.00 | 61,700.00 | 71,700.00 |
| Professional | 34,450.00 | 45,700.00 | 56,950.00 | 68,200.00 | 79,450.00 |
ICAN Website
For more information on ICAN, registration, requirements, membership, fee renewal, management team, offices, upcoming programs, and conferences, visit the link below: here
For the Professional students, click: http://icanig.org/new/students/professional-students
For the ATSWA students, click: http://icanig.org/new/students/atswa-students
Click here for members portal: https://icanportal.org/members
Frequently Asked Questions
What is ICAN?
The word ICAN is an acronym that stands for the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria. The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria is a professional accountancy body in Nigeria. It is also one of the two professional accountancy associations with the regulatory authority in Nigeria, the other being the Association of National Accountants of Nigeria.
How much is ICAN registration?
A professional student will pay a sum of ₦7,000 as the registration fee for the professional examination. This is not including any charges. You may have to pay some extra charges for online processing in cyber cafes.
How do I find my ICAN registration number?
After you have finished the registration, visit the ICAN official website to check your registration number or click on this link http://icanig.org/new/ and follow the prompts to check it directly.
What are the requirements for ICAN?
If you really desire to be an ICAN member, you are expected to be a qualified accountant with work experience in the accounting or related field. In other words, if you are a university certified accountant, you must have at least 3 years of experience
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