United Bank for Africa Plc (UBA) on Monday launched its 75th-anniversary celebrations in Lagos to further boost its commitment to enhancing customer experiences while expressing optimism for future achievements for both customers and shareholders.
The anniversary launch marked a significant milestone for the bank, which has grown from its modest beginnings in Lagos Island since its inception in 1949, to a global financial institution with operations in 20 African countries and four international financial hubs: New York, London, Paris, and Dubai.
Today, UBA operates across four continents, with a significant presence in 20 African countries and strategic locations in the United States, France, the United Kingdom, and the UAE.
Reflecting on the bank’s journey, Group Managing Director Oliver Olawuba highlighted UBA’s extensive network and customer base.
“Today, we have over 25,000 staff and serve over 35 million customers through multiple channels, including over 350,000 POS terminals, 2,000 ATM terminals, 1,000 business offices, and 19.7 million card customers.”
Mr. Olawuba paid a glowing tribute to the Group Chairman of UBA, Tony Elumelu, stating: “Without his visionary push in 2005 and his guidance over the years, we would not be where we are today. For this and more, we extend our heartfelt thanks to him.”
To the loyal customers, he expressed gratitude to UBA’s over 30 million customers worldwide.
“Your consistent support and patronage over the years have been remarkable.
You often meet people who tell you they are third- and fourth-generation UBA customers.
Their grandparents and parents were UBA customers, and now their children use our ATM cards and enroll in our mobile banking platform and Leo Chatbox. This is the legacy of UBA.”
Olawuba also detailed several pioneering achievements in UBA’s history:
• First Initial Public Offering (IPO) in Nigeria: UBA was the first bank in Nigeria to offer an IPO in 1970.
• First Listing on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE): UBA was the first Nigerian bank to be listed on the NSE.
• First Nigerian Bank in the USA and London: UBA was the first Nigerian bank to open branches in these global cities.
• First ATMs in Nigeria: UBA was the pioneer in installing Automated Teller Machines in Nigeria.
• First Campus Branch: UBA opened the first campus branch at the University of Lagos.
• First African Subsidiary: UBA established the first Nigerian bank subsidiary in Africa (Ghana, 2005).
• First Female Board Chairperson: UBA appointed the first female board chairperson in Nigeria.
• Mobile Banking and Multilingual Chatbot Innovations: UBA introduced mobile banking and launched Leo, the first multilingual chatbot in Nigeria.
• Successful Prepaid Cards: UBA launched the most successful prepaid cards across Africa.
Group Deputy Managing Director Muyiwa Akinyemi emphasized the transformation of UBA from its origins as the British & French Bank established in 1949 to its current status as Africa’s Global Bank.
“This anniversary not only celebrates our legacy but also highlights a journey of massive transformation,” he said.
About UBA
United Bank for Africa (UBA) is Africa’s Global bank with a rich history spanning over seven decades.
The bank which is headquartered in Lagos, Nigeria, is one of the most recognised financial institutions to originate from Sub-Saharan Africa with thriving operations in 20 African countries – Republique du Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroun, Congo Brazzaville, Congo DRC, Cote d’lvoire, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Kenya, Liberia, Mali, Mozambique, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Tchad, Uganda and Zambia.
UBA also operates in the United Kingdom and France and we are the only sub Saharan African bank with a deposit taking license in the USA.
It officially opened for business in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates in 2022.
UBA provides corporate, commercial, SME, consumer and personal (retail) banking services to more than 25 million customers, served through diverse channels: over 1,000 business offices and customer touch points with 2,669 ATMs, 87,223 PoS, and robust online banking services.
Additionally, UBA offers pension custody and related services. The bank has proven expertise and capacity in key sectors of economies across Africa, especially in Oil and Gas, Infrastructure Finance, Agric, and Commodity/Export, and this positions us as a preferred partner for structured solutions to key governments and corporates operating in/into Africa.
