CV example
Accountant CV example
By the JobberNest team · Reviewed 3 November 2026
Recruiters hiring accountants in Nigeria usually spend less than a minute on a first read. In that minute they want three things: your qualification (ICAN, ACCA or ANAN, finished or in progress), the size and type of books you have handled, and proof that you close on time without errors.
The example below is for an accountant with about four years' experience in a Lagos company. Copy the structure, not the words: every line on your CV should describe something you actually did.
Accountant CV sample
Chiamaka Obi
Accountant, ACA (ICAN)
Lagos · chiamaka.obi@example.com · 0803 000 0000
Profile
ICAN-qualified accountant with four years in manufacturing and distribution. I run month-end close for a ₦2.1bn-turnover business, prepare VAT, WHT and PAYE returns, and have cut close time from nine working days to five. Comfortable with Sage 300, SAP Business One and advanced Excel.
Experience
Accountant · A food manufacturer, Ikeja
Mar 2023 – present
- Run month-end close for three business units; brought close from 9 to 5 working days by moving accruals and bank reconciliations into a shared Excel checklist.
- Prepare monthly VAT and WHT returns and annual PAYE schedules on the FIRS and LIRS portals, with no penalties in two years.
- Reconcile 14 bank accounts weekly and clear unreconciled items over 30 days, down from ₦18m to under ₦1m.
- Prepared the audit file for the 2024 year end; external auditors raised two minor points, against eleven the year before.
Assistant Accountant · A logistics company, Lagos
Jan 2021 – Feb 2023
- Processed about 600 supplier invoices a month and ran the weekly payment run.
- Built a debtors ageing report that helped the credit team recover ₦42m of debts over 90 days.
Education
B.Sc. Accounting, Second Class Upper · University of Lagos
2015 – 2019
Associate Chartered Accountant (ACA) · Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria
2022
Skills
IFRS reporting · Month-end close · Bank reconciliation · VAT, WHT and PAYE · Sage 300 · SAP Business One · Advanced Excel (pivot tables, XLOOKUP) · Fixed asset register
Service
- NYSC, a state ministry of finance, Ogun State (2019 – 2020)
What recruiters look for
- A professional qualification near the top: ICAN, ACCA, ANAN or CITN, with the year, or the stage you have reached.
- The scale of what you handled: turnover, number of entities, accounts or invoices.
- Tax work by name: VAT, WHT, PAYE, CIT, and the portals you file on.
- The software you use day to day, spelt the way the job advert spells it.
- Accuracy and deadlines: clean audits, no penalties, shorter close times.
Profile examples
Accounting graduate (Second Class Upper, UNILAG) with an ICAN Skills level pass and six months' NYSC experience preparing payment vouchers and bank reconciliations. Strong in Excel and keen to train towards full ACA.
ACA with four years in manufacturing. I run month-end close, statutory tax returns and audit preparation, and have cut close time by four days.
Chartered accountant (ACA, ACCA) with nine years across FMCG and telecoms. I lead a team of six, report under IFRS to a foreign parent, and manage relationships with external auditors and the FIRS.
Achievement bullets you can adapt
Change the numbers and details to match what you actually did. If you don't have a number, describe the result plainly.
- Reduced month-end close from 9 to 5 working days by standardising accrual and reconciliation checklists.
- Filed VAT, WHT and PAYE returns on time for 24 months running, with no penalties.
- Cleared ₦17m of unreconciled bank items older than 30 days.
- Prepared the year-end audit file; audit points fell from eleven to two.
- Built an Excel cash-flow forecast that management now uses every week.
Skills to include
Technical
- IFRS
- Financial statements
- Month-end close
- Reconciliations
- Budgeting and variance analysis
- Tax compliance (VAT, WHT, PAYE, CIT)
Software
- Excel
- Sage
- QuickBooks
- SAP
- Oracle NetSuite
- Power BI
Personal
- Attention to detail
- Meeting deadlines
- Explaining numbers to non-accountants
Tips for a stronger accountant CV
- 1
Put your qualification where it can't be missed
Write it in your headline ("Accountant, ACA") and again under education with the year. If you are still studying, say which stage: "ICAN Professional level, two papers remaining".
- 2
Use numbers you can defend
Accounting interviewers will ask how you got a figure. Only include numbers you can explain in detail, and round them honestly.
- 3
Name the tax work
"Handled taxes" tells a recruiter nothing. "Prepared monthly VAT and WHT returns on the FIRS TaxPro-Max portal" tells them you can start on day one.
- 4
Match the software in the advert
If the job asks for SAP and you have used it, write "SAP" exactly as they do. Screening software often matches the word itself.
- 5
Keep it to two pages
One page is fine for graduates. Experienced accountants rarely need more than two. Cut duties that every accountant does and keep results.
Questions people ask
Should I include my ICAN student number?
No. Give the level or stage you have reached. Employers who need to verify it will ask.
Do I need a photo on an accountant CV in Nigeria?
It isn't required. Many Nigerian employers accept one, but multinationals and foreign employers usually prefer no photo. When in doubt, leave it out.
Should I put my NYSC on my CV?
Yes, especially in your first few years. Give the place and dates, and one line on what you did if it was finance work.