Senior executives of the United Bank for Africa (UBA) Group have concluded their 2025 Half-Year Business Review in Lagos with a renewed commitment to strengthening the bank’s pan-African footprint and expanding into new high-potential markets across the continent and globally.
The strategy session, which brought together top leadership of the Group, served as a platform to reaffirm UBA’s position as Africa’s Global Bank while advancing plans to deliver innovative financial services across existing and emerging markets. The Group currently operates in 20 African countries, as well as key international financial centres including the United Kingdom, the United States, France, and the United Arab Emirates.
With over 51.7% of the Group’s revenues now generated from its non-Nigerian operations, the review underscored UBA’s transformation into one of Africa’s most geographically diversified financial institutions. Executives described the bank’s strategic expansion as pivotal in driving inclusive growth, boosting intra-African trade, and enhancing access to world-class banking services.
Speaking during the meeting, Group Managing Director/CEO, Oliver Alawuba, expressed confidence in Africa’s economic outlook, noting that UBA is well-positioned to leverage growth opportunities across the continent.
“UBA’s vision is clear – we are building a truly global institution anchored in Africa but serving customers across continents,” Alawuba said. “Further strategic expansion positions us to unlock new opportunities, support intra-Africa trade, and deliver world-class banking experiences wherever our clients choose to do business.”
Highlighting some of the Group’s latest international developments, Alawuba disclosed that UBA is in the process of upgrading its banking license in France to expand its capacity for cross-border trade facilitation, particularly with the African diaspora and European partners. This complements UBA’s existing operations in the UK and its long-standing presence in New York.
As part of its global growth ambitions, the bank had earlier this year announced plans to launch operations in Saudi Arabia—signalling UBA’s intent to further bridge Africa with the Middle East and expand services to a growing global clientele.
UBA began its pan-African expansion in 2004 with a foray into Ghana and has since rapidly grown across 18 other African countries. The bank’s robust footprint, cutting-edge technology, and strong commitment to financial inclusion have positioned it as a leader in the continent’s banking landscape.
With a workforce of over 25,000 employees and a global customer base exceeding 45 million, UBA remains one of Africa’s largest and most dynamic financial institutions, delivering retail, commercial, and institutional banking solutions to a diverse clientele.
As the bank continues to execute its expansion strategy, its leadership affirms that UBA is not only connecting Africa to the world but also reshaping the future of banking across the continent.