UBA gets double honours at BAFI Awards

The United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc carted two highly coveted laurels at the BusinessDay’s Bank and other Financial Institutions Awards (BAFI) winning the Bank of the Year and the International Bank of the Year at the glamorous event held over the weekend.

The bank beat other strong contenders – Zenith Bank, Guaranty Trust Bank, Access Bank and First Bank – to clinch the two top categories in a well-attended ceremony comprising bank CEOs, captains of industry and senior financial executives.

UBA won the ‘Bank of the Year’ in recognition of UBA’s consistent effort in outperforming its peers using a composite of financial metrics, strategic foresight, execution discipline, world-class governance and global vision.

The bank also won the award for ‘International Bank of the Year’, a keenly contested category, that pitches Nigerian financial institutions that have expanded on the continent against their international peers operating across Africa.

UBA’s Deputy Managing Director, Mr Liadi Ayoku, who received the awards on behalf of the bank, expressed his delight on the recognition from BusinessDay.

He said: “These awards mark another milestone for UBA Group and is a testament of the diligent execution of the bank’s strategic initiatives on customer service. Being recognised as Nigeria’s best bank complements positive feedback from customers and is a recognition of our improving efficiencies, service quality and innovation. I, therefore, dedicate it to our growing loyal corporate and retail customers, who are our essence. Given our heritage commitment to Africa’s development, we continue to impact lives through our service as well as funding to individuals, businesses and government,” he noted.

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Ayoku pointed out that the bank remained focused on its goal of democratising banking in Africa, leveraging on new technologies and emphasised its determination to change the narrative of financial services in Africa.

Publisher of BusinessDay Newspapers, organisers of the event, Frank Aigbogun, noted that UBA had excelled in the key areas of prioritising customers, which, according to him, earned the bank the double honours.

While explaining the rationale behind UBA winning the two prestigious categories in its December issue, Aigbogun noted that the bank stood out in prioritising customers as has been evident in the significant rise in customer deposits which leapt by 35.7 per cent to N5.2trillion up from N3.8 trillion at the end of the last financial year.

He noted that even though Africa’s economic landscape had been unpredictable in recent times which resulted in a recession in Nigeria and some of Africa’s best-performing economies, the bank still found its rhythm and excelled.

He said: “In these conditions only the most diversified and innovative of regional banks can prosper. And this is precisely why UBA has scooped the BAFI 2020, Best Bank of the Year and International Bank of the Year, a testament to hard work, resilience. For one, the lender registered impressive top-and bottom-line growth over the review period.”

NIGERIAN TRIBUNE

UBA gets double honours at BAFI Awards