By Amin Kef Sesay
The leading pan-African financial services group, United Bank for Africa Plc (UBA), announced on the 7th July 2020 the appointments of Ayoku Liadi and Oliver Alawuba as Deputy Managing Directors in charge of UBA’s Nigeria and Africa businesses, respectively.
The creation of the new positions, reporting to Group CEO, Kennedy Uzoka, represents further strategic recognition of the growth of UBA’s pan-African business, now representing in excess of 40% of Group revenue, and the critical importance of Nigeria, the Group’s largest market. Combined with UBA’s unique International Business, operating from New York, London and Paris, UBA Africa and Nigeria, offer an unparalleled service offering to clients across Africa and globally.
Commenting on the appointments, Group Chairman Tony O. Elumelu said:
“In 2005, we set out our pan-African vision. Fifteen years later, we are present in 20 African countries, serving over 20 million clients, leveraging our service culture and technology platform, to provide an integrated and seamless customer offering across the continent. In Africa, we lead in innovation and service, whilst our International Business, operating from New York, Paris and London, provides global and African clients access to treasury, trade finance and corporate banking products, uniquely tailored to the African opportunity. These senior appointments represent our commitment to optimize our management structure to best serve our clients and drive our business success.”
Oliver Alawuba has worked with the UBA Group for almost 20 years and was appointed in January 2020, CEO for the Group’s Africa operations. Oliver’s knowledge of UBA’s business in Africa is unrivalled. He previously held the role as CEO of UBA in Ghana and more recently, as Regional CEO for UBA in Anglophone Africa.
Ayo Liadi joined the UBA Group in 2014 and was appointed the Executive Director of Lagos and West bank in Nigeria, two years later. Ayo is widely recognized for his innovation in driving business development.
Also announced by the UBA Group Board, was the retirement from the Board with effect from August 01, 2020, of Dan Okeke who has been with the UBA Group for 22 years. Dan served on the Board as an Executive Director for three terms and a total of nine years. According to the Group Chairman, ‘Dan was born for UBA. He has worked tirelessly for the Group and achieved so much in the past two decades. We will miss him, but he will still be very much around us’.
UBA is one of the largest employers in the financial sector on the African continent, with approximately 20,000 employees group wide and serving over 20 million customers. Operating in 20 African countries and globally in the United Kingdom, the United States and France, UBA provides retail, commercial and institutional banking services, leading financial inclusion and implementing cutting edge products such as the first ever banking chat bot in Africa, LEO.
