E-Financial
UBA Unveils 30 Students as 2019 Campus Ambassadors
United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc, Pan African financial institution, on Friday unveiled 30 students as UBA Brand Ambassadors for 2019 in the third edition of its Campus Ambassador Programme.
The 30 students made up of 17 males and 13 females, chosen from various tertiary institutions across Nigeria, were selected based on a number of carefully-defined criteria including clear leadership and creative skills as well as the keen ability to promote the UBA brand as campus ambassadors.
UBA’s Campus Ambassador Programme is UBA’s initiative to identify young emerging leaders from tertiary institutions across the country and give them a unique and highly rewarding learning experience while also grooming them to be effectual leaders in their societies and country at large.
The programme is also an opportunity for the bank to give back to students who remain a core component of the bank’s legacy.
Anant Rao, group head, Digital and Consumer Banking, United Bank for Africa(UBA) Plc, who spoke at the unveiling ceremony held at the bank’s Head Office in Lagos on Friday, explained that the UBA Campus Ambassador programme offered a unique opportunity to students of tertiary institutions in Nigeria to be part of a dynamic and forward-thinking Pan-African bank by representing the brand both within and outside the campus.
He noted that the programme is designed to be a win-win for both the students and the bank as it presents a learning experience and a highly rewarding pursuit for selected students, while providing them with a platform to display their leadership capabilities and showcase their diverse talents which will in turn drive further growth to the bank.
Speaking to the students, he said, “We are glad because since we began this programme a few years ago, the narrative has indeed changed. We are now seen as a bank for the young and vibrant and we have been able to develop leadership skills, creativity among the youth. And so with your successful selection, I am happy to say that your learning experience has already begun. You are now expected to exhibit the core values of the bank, show the spirit of excellence, execution and enterprise in whatever you do.”
Continuing, he said, “We believe that the youths are the future of every country so we selected the best from the universities to collaborate with them to build their leadership skills and creative skills so that they can be better leaders in the future, whether they choose to operate in the public sector or the private sector,” he said.
Rao explained that the students were selected after an assessment to ensure that they possess the qualities that UBA prides itself in, adding “You need to show that you have the spirit of enterprise, excellence and that you do what you say you will do, which is execution. These qualities are dear to us and to what we stand for here in UBA. And, because these people now represent the brand, they must also share this passion and be able to project the brand and what UBA stands for that is our core values.
Tomiwa Sotiloye, UBA’s Head Retail Liabilities, explained that the students will undergo necessary training and will be expected to execute specific projects meant to add value to the environments. This, he added, will help the students to understand intently all that is expected of them as brand ambassadors of the bank.
He thereafter charged them to be good leaders and positive influencers who should stand out by ensuring that the bank’s reputation soars high in their respective campuses and beyond.
He said, “We know that we have selected the best out of all those of those who applied to be part of this programme, and so we expect nothing short of the best from you as you take your studies seriously, add value to your schools and the society at large and represent the UBA brand in positive light always.”
The selected students from Ahmadu Bello University are: Abbas Shaibu, Nafisat Mogaji, Sharifah Muhammad; Faisal Shuaib, Ibrahim Muhammed. Justina Adeogun and Dennis Fanijo from Bayero University, Kano; Blessing Emah, Fadekemi Ajibola, Opeyemi Olowogbade, Oluwatotobiloba Awofolaju, Oluwaseun Ijaseun from Obafemi Awolowo University; Alice Gbobo and David Jim, from Rivers State University; Eunice Edeoghon and Precious Nzeakor from University of Benin.
From the University of Ibadan, Damilola Onaiyekan and Oscar-Romero Izuka were selected; while Aboyowa Johnson, Princewill Nwachukwu, Ezenwoke Nwosu and Oluwalayomi Azeez came from the University of Lagos. From the University of Port Harcourt came Justice Anthony, Olubusayo Faluyi, Blessing Elikor and Belema Agbake; while Chukwuebuka Orjiakor, and Ifeoma Atuonah came from Nnamdi Azikiwe University. Deborah Ajana and Esther Afu-Adajo were selected from Lagos State University.
United Bank for Africa Plc is a leading pan-African financial services group, operating in 20 African countries, as well as the United Kingdom, the United States of America and with presence in France.
UBA was incorporated in Nigeria as a limited liability company after taking over the assets of the British and French Bank Limited who had been operating in Nigeria since 1949.
The United Bank for Africa merged with Standard Trust Bank in 2005 and from a single country operation founded in 1949 in Nigeria – Africa’s largest economy – UBA has become one of the leading providers of banking and other financial services on the African continent.
The Bank which was awarded the Best Digital Bank in Africa by the Euromoney awards in 2018, provides services to over 17 million customers globally, through one of the most diverse service channels in sub-Saharan Africa, with over 1,000 branches and customer touch points and robust online and mobile banking platforms.
The shares of UBA are publicly traded on the Nigerian Stock Exchange and the Bank has a well-diversified shareholder base, which includes foreign and local institutional investors, as well as individual shareholders.
The Central Bank of Nigeria in its 2025 Fintech Policy Insight Report, has raised concern over Nigeria’s fintech sector heavily dependent on foreign investment, exposing it to swings in global markets.
The report said the sector has shown resilience despite global economic pressures, but warned that reliance on external capital leaves it vulnerable to market fluctuations.
It would be recalled that startups in the country raised $520m in equity funding in 2024, down from about $747m in 2019, when Nigeria captured roughly 37 per cent of all African startup investment.
This performance, amid significant global macroeconomic gyrations, underscores Nigeria’s position as a key hub for financial innovation. The sharp rise in interest rates in advanced economies during 2022 contributed to a slowdown in venture capital funding.
“These dynamics highlight the importance of developing domestic funding avenues, such as leveraging Nigeria’s capital markets, to reduce currency risk and sustain fintech growth,” the apex bank stated.
Olayemi Cardoso, CBN Governor, said Nigeria is undergoing a rapid and significant financial evolution. Over the past decade, the nation’s fintech landscape has grown from a handful of startups into one of Africa’s most vibrant innovation ecosystems.
“Even amid global economic headwinds, Nigerian fintech firms continued to attract investment and drive change. Today, with improved stability of our currency and domestic economy, it is clearer than ever that financial innovation can advance inclusion at scale,” the executive commented on the report.
In addition to funding, the central bank underscored Nigeria’s continued leadership in digital financial infrastructure. More than 25 per cent of all electronic transactions in Africa’s most populous nation are processed via real-time payment channels, with close to 11 billion transactions processed in 2024, up from five billion in 2022. The report described Nigeria’s instant payments platform, NIBSS NIP, as among the most mature and widely adopted globally.
The report also mentioned the need to strengthen system integrity and reputation, pointing to compliance reforms, anti-money laundering supervision, and consumer protection measures as key priorities for sustaining investor confidence.
By focusing on domestic funding, regulatory modernisation, and innovation infrastructure, the CBN aims to position Nigeria not only as a fintech front-runner but also as a rule-setter whose regulatory lessons are relevant to peer emerging and high-growth economies globally, the central bank said.
Stakeholders surveyed by the CBN also cited compliance costs as a significant challenge to innovation. According to the report, 87.5 per cent of respondents said that the cost of meeting regulatory and risk requirements significantly impacts their capacity to innovate, while delays in product approvals and regulatory timelines also remain major bottlenecks.
The report noted that 62.5 per cent of fintech firms plan to expand regionally, and there is strong support for regulatory pass-porting frameworks to enable compliant expansion into other African markets. However, the CBN warns that such cross-border growth requires a stable funding base and coordinated regulation.
After a few years abroad, I returned to Nigeria and faced a dilemma. Let me tell you all about it.
UBA
A few days ago, I was dragging my luggage through Murtala Muhammed International Airport. Everything felt bright and beautiful. Not necessarily in aesthetics, but in the vibrant colours, sounds, and energy all around. After three intensive years in the UK, I was finally back home. Ready for the hustle and bustle of Lagos life, and yes, the comfort of my parents’ home.
The plan was simple. Settle down and get my life on track. I’d sorted the job, and I had my person. But then came my dilemma. Money!. This doesn’t mean I was short of it or had too much of it. The real issue is where to actually keep and manage it in this country with daily dramatic happenings. With just two weeks left before I resumed at my new workplace, I had no time for long queues, endless paperwork, or the classic “Nigeria bank stress.” So, I needed an account, and I needed it fast.
So I turned to my best friend, Google, and typed, “Instant account opening in Nigeria.”
In less than a second, I was redirected to the United Bank for Africa instant account opening portal. A few taps later, and I had a fully functional account. Just like that. I could receive my funds, transfer my funds, and start building my financial life here again.
In less than a second, I was redirected to the United Bank for Africa instant account opening portal. A few taps later, and I had a fully functional account. Just like that. I could receive my funds, transfer my funds, and start building my financial life here again. Talk about ease, and this beautiful experience truly exemplified that definition
I was genuinely amazed. It felt too easy, almost suspiciously easy. But it was real, I mean, really soft like they were just thinking all about me while developing this new feature.
If you’re like me and pressed for time, avoiding unnecessary stress, or just ready to sort your finances without the hassle, consider this your sign.
UBA’s instant account opening is a game-changer. No queues to cut into your precious time. Just you and your phone, minutes away from being banked.
Get started here: https://aop.ubagroup.com
Trust me, if I could do it between unpacking and settling in, you can do it too. Your future self will thank you.
Bank of Industry (BOI) has received Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) approval to launch a Non-Interest Banking (NIB) Window, expanding ethical financing for underserved businesses nationwide.
BOI
The move positions BOI to mobilise Sharia-compliant funds, finance assets and raw materials without interest, and target MSMEs plus high-impact sectors previously sidelined by conventional loans.
Divisional Head of Public Relations, Theodora Amechi, said the window aligns BOI with social goals, boosting real economy support and sustainable industrial growth.
MD/CEO Dr. Olasupo Olusi hailed it as a “pivotal moment,” enabling the bank to serve faith-sensitive enterprises shunning riba-based loans.
Analysts see it as CBN’s vote of confidence in BOI’s governance, set to spur innovation and inclusive financing for Nigeria’s ethical business segments.
Established in 1959 as Nigeria’s top Development Finance Institution, BOI now strengthens its drive for broad-based economic transformation.
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