E-Financial
UBA Consolidates Pan African Leadership with Key Appointments
United Bank for Africa Plc (UBA), the Pan-African bank with operations in 19 African countries and New York, London and Paris, has launched Project Alpha – the Group’s next stage focus of strategic transformation.
UBA has for eight years executed a dedicated strategy of local, regional and global expansion, whose implementation has seen the Group transform from a national player to an institution of international prominence.
Project Alpha is three year route map of key transformation initiatives, designed to consolidate the Group’s strategic positioning and fully capture the opportunities from Africa’s economic renaissance and the Group’s unique platform.
Project Alpha is focused on leveraging all aspects of the Group’s footprint, product offerings and operational capability, allowing a commitment to customer service transformation, market share growth, the implementation of key e-banking initiatives across all segments, the growth of corporate and trade finance capabilities and significant investment in the human capital represented by the over twenty five thousand UBA work force.
A series of senior executive hires underlines the Group’s commitment to Project Alpha. Mr. Apollos Ikpobe has been appointed as deputy managing director, Domestic Bank and Ms. Obi Ibekwe as executive director Human Resources and Customer Service.
Both appointments have been approved by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
Mr. Ikpobe, who was until recently an executive director at Zenith Bank, a position he held for 7 years, brings over 21 years of experience of the Nigerian banking sector.
Mr. Ikpobe will be responsible for driving UBA’s domestic business in Nigeria. His appointment complements existing deputy managing director, Mr. Kennedy Uzoka, responsible for Resources and Treasury.
The new Executive Director Human Resources and Customer Service, Ms. Ibekwe had a distinguished career with Zenith Bank Plc, where she was responsible for Human Resource Management, Customer Services, as well as Credit Risk Management.
She has a background in consulting, banking and customer service, critical for leading the renewed service excellence culture at UBA. Her appointment to the board brings to five, the number of female Directors at the Group board of UBA.
Other key appointments also announced include Mr. Rasheed Adegoke, general manager in charge of Group Information Technology.
Mr Adegoke joins UBA from First Bank of Nigeria, where he was CIO, a role he has held over 13 years at different institutions in the Nigerian financial services sector.
He is a technology and process strategist and with hands-on expertise in the design and delivery of high-performance information technology and business process improvement solutions to address complex business problems.
A critical aspect of the Project Alpha initiative is the focus on UBA Africa, whose contribution currently at 20% of group performance and is planned to be 50% in by 2016. To drive this, the Group is reinforcing its senior African leadership.
Emmanuel Nnorom, Formerly Executive Director, Finance & Risk Management at UBA, has been appointed as the CEO for UBA Africa.
Other senior level appointments in UBA Africa include Mrs. Amie Sow, Managing Director, UBA Senegal; Mr. Demola Ogunfeyimi, Managing Director, UBA Tanzania; Mr. Mamadou Sanon, Managing Director, UBA Gabon; Mr. Martin Che, Managing Director, UBA Congo Brazzaville; Mr. Marcel Bitang, Managing Director, UBA DRC; Mr. Stanley Ugwueze, Managing Director, UBA Zambia; Mrs. Abiola Bawuah, Deputy Managing Director, UBA Ghana; Mr. Benedict Nklama, Executive Director, UBA Kenya; Mr. Wilbrod Owor, Executive Director, UBA Uganda and Mr. Chinedu Obeta, Executive Director, UBA Sierra Leone.
“UBA is able to recruit the cream of African banking talent and we are proud to be able to provide a dynamic platform for these Africans to contribute to our continent’s transformation” said, Mr. Phillips Oduoza, GMD/CEO, UBA.
Speaking further, he said: “Our people remain our greatest asset and we will continue to strategically retool and resource to achieve and surpass the goals of Project Alpha”.
More broadly, Project Alpha allows us both to build on the existing strengths of our franchise, but more importantly demonstrates that going forward we continue to reinvent ourselves, ensuring we capture and deliver the maximum of value for clients, shareholders and staff” he explained.
United Bank for Africa Plc is one of Africa’s leading financial institutions, offering banking services to more than 7 million customers across over 700 branches in 19 African countries. With presence in New York, London and Paris, UBA is connecting people and businesses across Africa through retail, commercial and corporate banking, innovative cross border payments and trade finance.
ChatPay has launched Africa’s conversational banking platform, enabling individuals and businesses to access financial services through WhatsApp.
The Lagos-based fintech startup, is in controlled rollout, connecting WhatsApp to linked-bank management, airtime and supported electricity payments through simple conversations.
The company said the platform is designed to enable users to send money, pay bills, buy airtime and manage business transactions within WhatsApp conversations, subject to the completion of regulatory approvals and integration with licensed banking partners.
According to ChatPay, the platform is operated by CP Technology Limited and is currently undergoing a phased rollout ahead of its planned public launch.
The company said the initiative is intended to simplify access to financial services by leveraging WhatsApp, which it estimates is used by more than 50 million Nigerians monthly.
Speaking on the idea behind the platform, Adeoluwasubomi Odebunmi, product lead and co-founder, said the concept emerged while she was studying Software Engineering at Babcock University.
“I saw the gap while I was still in school—how much friction there was just to move money. I didn’t want to just study the problem. I wanted to help fix it,” she said.
Odebunmi said she had previously worked on software solutions spanning e-commerce, real estate management, school administration and artificial intelligence applications before co-founding ChatPay.
Aseoluwa Siyanbola, growth lead and co-founder, said his experience managing Nigerian bank accounts while studying abroad highlighted some of the challenges users face with digital banking services.
According to him, difficulties such as one-time password (OTP) failures and inconsistent banking applications inspired the team to explore conversational banking solutions.
“We each encountered similar challenges and came together to build a solution that simplifies everyday financial transactions,” he said.
cAbraham William, tech lead and co-founder, said the company is focused on improving access to financial services through a platform that many Nigerians already use daily.
“We want to make financial services easier to access by allowing people to carry out transactions through a familiar messaging platform,” he said.
William said he oversees the company’s engineering, technology strategy and system architecture.
ChatPay said its services will be introduced in phases as regulatory requirements are met and integrations with banking partners are completed.
The company added that its newly launched “Founding 2,500” programme will enable selected early users to test features, provide feedback and participate in product development before the platform’s wider rollout.
According to the company, interested users can register for the waitlist and the Founding 2,500 programme through its website.
Founded by Odebunmi, Siyanbola and William, ChatPay said its long-term goal is to expand conversational banking services beyond Nigeria into other African markets after its domestic rollout.
United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc has been named Nigeria’s Best Bank for Retail Banking and Best Bank for Sustainability Leadership (ESG) at the 2026 Euromoney Awards for Excellence, reinforcing its position as one of Africa’s leading financial institutions.
The awards were presented on July 17 at The Peninsula London in the United Kingdom, recognising financial institutions that have demonstrated outstanding performance, innovation, customer impact and sustainable banking practices.
The double recognition highlights UBA’s growing influence in retail banking and its commitment to advancing environmental, social and governance (ESG) principles across its operations.
According to Euromoney, UBA distinguished itself through a series of sustainability initiatives, including the introduction of a Green Financing Facility designed to support households and businesses transitioning to renewable energy.
The publication also cited the bank’s ₦5 billion financing programme, implemented in partnership with the Bank of Industry (BOI), to provide funding for women-owned businesses.
Euromoney further recognised UBA’s commitment to achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, describing it as a demonstration of the bank’s long-term sustainability strategy.
The publication also highlighted the bank’s efforts to integrate sustainability into its operations through the deployment of solar-powered energy solutions across 50 branches and comprehensive ESG capacity-building programmes that have trained more than 16,000 employees across the UBA Group.
In the retail banking category, Euromoney noted that UBA continued to consolidate its position as one of Africa’s largest retail banking institutions.
According to the publication, the bank expanded its customer base to more than 37 million by the end of 2025, while retail banking revenue increased more than fourfold to ₦429.5 billion.
The awards also recognised UBA’s continued investment in digital banking innovation, particularly enhancements to its artificial intelligence-powered chatbot, LEO.
Euromoney noted that LEO became Africa’s first AI-powered banking platform to facilitate cross-border money transfers in local currencies through the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS).
Commenting on the awards, UBA’s Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Mr Oliver Alawuba, described the recognition as a validation of the bank’s commitment to delivering value to customers while promoting sustainable development across Africa.
“To be recognised as Nigeria’s Best Bank for both ESG and Retail Banking in the same year sends a powerful message that sustainable banking and commercial success are mutually reinforcing.
“At UBA, we are committed to financing Africa’s future, supporting businesses and communities, promoting financial inclusion, and delivering innovative banking solutions that improve lives.
“These awards belong to our customers for their confidence in us and to every member of the UBA family whose dedication continues to make our vision a reality,” he said.
Also speaking, UBA’s Group Head, Marketing, Brand and Corporate Communications, Mrs Alero Ladipo, said the awards reflected the bank’s unwavering commitment to putting customers at the centre of its operations.
According to her, every innovation, investment and banking solution introduced by UBA is aimed at creating exceptional value for customers while expanding access to financial services.
“These awards are a powerful affirmation of our Customer First philosophy.
“Whether it is supporting entrepreneurs with access to finance, enabling seamless digital payments, advancing clean energy financing or expanding financial inclusion across Africa, UBA remains focused on delivering meaningful impact.
“We are honoured that one of the world’s most respected financial publications has recognised these efforts,” she said.
UBA currently operates in 20 African countries, as well as the United Kingdom, United States, France and the United Arab Emirates, serving more than 45 million customers through a combination of digital banking platforms and physical branch networks.
The bank said it remains committed to strengthening financial inclusion, driving innovation and supporting sustainable economic development across Africa and beyond.
Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC) has begun paying insured deposits to customers of the 46 recently failed microfinance banks.
Mr Thompson Sunday, managing director and chief executive, NDIC, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja.
The interview took place on the sidelines of the International Association of Deposit Insurers Africa Regional Committee meeting.
Sunday said the corporation was using the Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System (NIBBS) and customers’ Bank Verification Numbers (BVN) for the payments.
He said the NDIC had traced depositors’ alternative bank accounts and credited them directly without requiring physical visits.
He advised depositors without BVNs to visit the nearest NDIC zonal office for verification and payment processing
“The CBN revoked the licences of the 46 microfinance banks on July 1, 2026,” he said.
He said the NDIC automatically became the provisional liquidator after the revocation, in line with the law.
Sunday said the corporation had commenced payment of the insured maximum deposit of N2 million to eligible customers.
He explained that further payments would depend on the recovery of the failed banks’ assets and outstanding debts.
He said proceeds realised from recoveries would be distributed as liquidation dividends to eligible depositors.
Sunday cited Heritage Bank, Aso Savings and Union Homes as examples of the NDIC’s prompt reimbursement efforts.
He said insured depositors of Heritage Bank were paid within four days of the revocation of its licence.
He added that customers of Aso Savings and Union Homes received payments within 72 hours.
“The law allows us 30 days, but we are working to surpass our previous records,” he said.
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) revoked the banks’ licences for failing to meet regulatory requirements for continued operations.
The apex bank said the action was aimed at protecting depositors, strengthening financial stability and ensuring regulatory compliance.
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