Oliver Alawuba, Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc, has called on leaders and key stakeholders in the South-East to prioritise security and peace, infrastructure development and the delivery of bankable, investment-ready projects.

Oliver Alawuba, Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc,

This, according to him, is critical if the South Eastern region of the country is to unlock its long-term development agenda under the South-East Vision 2050 (S8V2050).

Alawuba made the call while delivering a goodwill remark at the South-East Vision 2050 Regional Stakeholder Forum which was held at the International Conference Centre, Enugu on Wednesday.

The multi-day forum was convened by the South-East Development Commission (SEDC) in collaboration with the Office of the Vice President, the Ministry of Regional Development and the South-East State Governments, to build consensus around a shared development pathway for the region and advance implementation-ready interventions aligned with national priorities.

Speaking in his capacity as GMD/CEO as well as the Chairman of the Body of Banks’ CEOs and on behalf of Corporate Nigeria, Alawuba identified peace and security as the most urgent requirement for attracting investment into the region, noting that safety remains the first signal investors assess before committing capital.

“The first thing the South-East needs is peace. It is an established fact, world over, that investments flow in the direction of safety,” Alawuba stated, urging state governments and regional leaders to sustain coordinated efforts to secure lives, assets and infrastructure.

He also challenged stakeholders to adopt a results-driven partnership model between government and the private sector; just as he noted that the success of the South-East Vision 2050 will largely depend on the region’s ability to articulate and package clear, measurable and value-adding projects capable of attracting long-term capital.

“Vision alone is not enough. The South-East must present specific, bankable projects with defined impact – projects that can unlock investment, create jobs and deliver real improvements in the lives of our people,” Alawuba stated.

The Forum brought together prominent Nigerians from across government and the private sector, including His Excellency, Senator Kashim Shettima, GCON, Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Governors of the South-East States (Imo, Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi and Enugu), Distinguished Senators and Honourable Members of the House of Representatives.

Other key participants included the Honourable Minister of Regional Development, the Chairman, Board Members and Management of SEDC, Royal Fathers and members of the clergy, members of the Diplomatic Corps, captains of industry, and development partners.

The UBA CEO took time to commend the South-East Governors for visible progress in road construction and other critical facilities across the region, while calling for accelerated delivery at scale.

He said, “Infrastructure is the bedrock of development,” he said. “We have seen improvements, but a little bit more is required such as reliable power, motorable roads, rail, water and connectivity to remove the bottlenecks that limit productivity and competitiveness.”

While stressing the importance of creating a truly investor-friendly business environment and unlocking diaspora capital to drive inclusive growth, he added that “Capital will always respond to predictability, ease of doing business and confidence. If we get the fundamentals right, Corporate Nigeria and the banking industry will rally round to finance viable projects, support SMEs, create jobs for our youth and mobilize long-term capital to make South-East Vision 2050 a reality.”

He seized the opportunity to reaffirm UBA’s readiness to partner the SEDC and South-East State Governments, as he noted that the Vision 2050 framework will be strengthened by private-sector participation and long-term capital mobilization to ensure it remains credible and investable.

United Bank for Africa is one of the largest employers in the financial sector on the African continent, with 25,000 employees group-wide and serving over 45 million customers globally. Operating in twenty African countries, the United Kingdom, the United States of America, France and the United Arab Emirates, UBA provides retail, commercial and institutional banking services, leading financial inclusion and implementing cutting-edge technology.

Ecobank Transnational Incorporated has reported a 29 per cent rise in profit after tax to N950.0bn for the financial year ended December 31, 2025, driven by growth in interest income and non-interest revenue.

This was indicated in the Condensed Consolidated Unaudited Financial Statements for the year ended December 2025 filed on the Nigerian Exchange Limited on Friday.

According to the report, the pan-African banking group’s gross earnings rose 14 per cent to N4.82tn, while total revenue increased 18 per cent to N3.67tn.

Profit before tax climbed 30 per cent to N1.28tn, up from N986.7bn in 2024. Operating profit before impairment charges rose 29 per cent to N1.89tn.

In the period under review, net interest income grew 22 per cent year on year to N2.14tn, supported by a 15 per cent increase in interest income to N3.18tn.

Interest expense rose modestly by four per cent to N1.04tn.

Non-interest revenue also strengthened, rising 13 per cent to N1.53tn, buoyed by a 17 per cent increase in fee and commission income to N1.03tn, and a 14 per cent growth in trading income and foreign exchange gains to N559.36bn.

However, other operating income declined 22 per cent to N68.6bn, while net losses on investment securities widened to N10.98bn.

Impairment charges on financial assets rose 28 per cent to N613.26bn, reflecting higher credit risk provisioning during the period.

Despite this, operating profit after impairment increased 30 per cent to N1.28tn.

Total profit stood at N950.0bn, compared to N735.9bn in 2024. Total assets expanded 14 per cent to N49.44tn, up from N43.30tn in 2024.

Loans and advances to customers increased 11 per cent to N17.09tn, while deposits from customers rose 15 per cent to N36.45tn, reinforcing the bank’s funding base. Total equity strengthened significantly, rising 50 per cent to N4.17tn, driven largely by retained earnings growth.

Equity attributable to ordinary shareholders stood at N2.91tn, up from N1.75tn. Total liabilities increased to N45.27tn, from N40.52tn in the previous year.

Ecobank operates in 34 African countries and several international financial centres, serving more than 32 million customers across consumer, commercial, corporate, and investment banking segments.

United States President Donald Trump has said he made no mistake for a video briefly shared on his official Truth Social account that depicted former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama as apes.

Former President Barack Obama

Speaking late Friday to reporters accompanying him aboard Air Force One, Trump insisted he made no mistake by sharing the video and does not need to apologise.

“I didn’t make a mistake,” he said.

Trump explained that he did not watch the entire clip before it was posted.

“I didn’t see the whole thing. I looked at the first part, and it was really about voter fraud in the machines, how crooked it is, how disgusting it is.

“Then I gave it to the people. Generally, they look at the whole thing. But I guess somebody didn’t,” he said.

When asked directly whether he condemned the video’s content, Trump replied, “Of course I do.”

The video, which was posted late Thursday, pushed a conspiracy theory about voting machines used during the 2020 election and included a racist depiction of the Obamas.

It remained on Trump’s Truth Social account for about 12 hours before being deleted on Friday morning, following widespread bipartisan calls for its removal.

The White House initially defended the post in an emailed statement to reporters on Friday morning by Karoline Leavitt, Press Secretary,.

She said, “This is from an internet meme video depicting President Trump as the King of the Jungle and Democrats as characters from The Lion King.”

Leavitt added, “Please stop the fake outrage and report on something today that actually matters to the American public.”

Hours after the statement was issued, the video was removed from Trump’s official Truth Social account.