UBA Group Dominates 2025 Banker Awards, Emerges Africa’s Bank Of The Year For Third Time In Five Years …Wins Best Bank In Nine Out Of 20 African Subsidiaries

Africa’s Global Bank, United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc, has once again cemented its reputation as one of the continent’s most innovative and resilient financial institutions, emerging as Africa’s Bank of the Year 2025 as awarded by The Banker, a publication of the Financial Times of London. This marks the bank’s third continental win in five years, underscoring its consistent leadership across the African financial landscape.

In addition to the top continental prize, UBA clinched nine “Best Bank” country awards, bringing its total haul for the year to ten. The winning subsidiaries include UBA Benin, UBA Chad, UBA Republic of Congo (Congo-Brazzaville), UBA Liberia, UBA Mali, UBA Mozambique, UBA Senegal, UBA Sierra Leone and UBA Zambia—a powerful validation of the group’s strength across West, Central and Southern Africa.

This year’s ceremony took place on Wednesday at The Peninsula, London. The Chief Executive Officer, UBA UK, Deji Adeyelure, received the awards on behalf of the Group Managing Director/CEO, Oliver Alawuba, accompanied by the bank’s Head of Business Development, Mark Ifashe, and Head of Financial Institutions, Shilpam Jha.

The Banker described UBA’s achievement as an outstanding feat, stating:
“For the third time in five years, UBA Group has won the coveted Bank of the Year award for Africa. UBA time after time punches above its weight against its larger African rivals. The bank this year also takes home nine separate country awards… more than any of its continent-wide rivals.”

The publication further highlighted the geographical diversity of UBA’s wins, spanning the ECOWAS region, the Central African Economic and Monetary Community (CEMAC), and the Southern African Development Community (SADC). It particularly noted the bank’s strong performance in the highly competitive Benin and Mozambique categories.

Robust Financial Performance and Innovation Drive Success

UBA’s exceptional year was underpinned by strong financial results. In 2024, the Group recorded a 46.8% increase in assets and a 6.1% rise in pre-tax profit (in local currency), alongside continued investments in technology and talent. West Africa remains the Group’s largest market, delivering 87% growth in operating revenue and 89% growth in profit in H1 2025.

The Group’s bold push in digital innovation was also recognised. During the review period, UBA launched its Advance Top-Up buy-now-pay-later feature on the *919# USSD platform, expanding customer access to short-term credit. Its flagship chatbot, Leo, sustained a vibrant growth trajectory with 29% surge in transaction volumes in H1 2025. Notably, in August, Leo became the first African banking chatbot to enable cross-border payments via the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS).

“A Testament to Strategy and Execution” — Alawuba

Reacting to the bank’s latest global recognition, UBA Group Managing Director/CEO, Oliver Alawuba, said the awards highlight the bank’s long-term strategy anchored on innovation, excellence, and customer-centricity.

“This honour reflects the strength of our pan-African network, the trust of our customers, and the dedication of our people. Winning Africa’s Bank of the Year for the third time in five years is no coincidence—it is the outcome of disciplined execution and a deep understanding of the markets we serve,” he said.

“Our nine country awards show that UBA is not just expanding, but expanding with impact. We remain committed to driving financial inclusion, supporting economic development, and deploying technology that makes banking simpler, faster and more accessible to Africans everywhere.”

A Truly Pan-African Institution

United Bank for Africa is one of Africa’s largest financial employers, with 25,000 staff and more than 45 million customers globally. The bank operates in 20 African countries, as well as the United Kingdom, United States, France and the United Arab Emirates, offering retail, commercial and institutional banking solutions while championing financial inclusion and pioneering cutting-edge banking technology.