By Oladipo Oluwatosin
Special Insight into a Decade of Sustained Excellence and Continental Leadership
Africa’s Global Bank, United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc, has once again demonstrated why it remains the continent’s banking pride, emerging as Africa’s Bank of the Year for 2025, the third win in five years, while also clinching Best Bank of the Year honors across nine subsidiaries. The victory cements UBA’s position as Africa’s most awarded and resilient banking franchise, reflecting consistency in strategy, innovation and stakeholder value creation.
The awards, presented by The Banker, a Financial Times publication, remain one of the world’s most competitive and respected global financial honors. This year’s gala, held at The Peninsula in London, underlined a recurring truth: UBA is not only thriving; it is defining the pace of modern banking in Africa.
A Pan-African Statement of Strength
UBA’s sweeping wins across Benin, Chad, Congo-Brazzaville, Liberia, Mali, Mozambique, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Zambia showcase more than regional dominance; they reflect a deep, sustainable business footprint across West, Central and Southern Africa.
According to The Banker:
“UBA time after time punches above its weight against its larger African rivals.”
This recognition speaks to an institution that competes not just with size but with strategy, innovation, discipline and continental vision.
Financial Performance that Commands Respect
The Banker’s editorial panel highlighted UBA’s standout performance in 2024 and 2025, including:
- 46.8% growth in total assets
- 6.1% rise in pre-tax profit
- 87% revenue growth in H1 2025 in West Africa
- 89% profit surge in the same period
These are not merely numbers—they point to a bank that has mastered execution in complexity, thriving despite headwinds such as currency volatility, inflation, and market disruptions across Africa.
Innovation at the Centre of UBA’s Success
Beyond financial results, UBA earned accolades for its technology-driven customer strategy.
The launch of *Advance Top-Up (a buy-now-pay-later feature on 919#) brought digital credit to millions.
LEO, the bank’s AI chatbot, achieved a landmark, becoming the first African chatbot to process cross-border payments through PAPSS.
Transaction volumes through Leo jumped by 29% year-on-year.
This blend of digital inclusion, intelligent automation and customer accessibility illustrates why UBA remains a continental innovation leader.
Leadership Comments: A Vision Translated into Reality
Group Managing Director/CEO, Oliver Alawuba, attributed the success to the bank’s customer-focused ethos and strong execution discipline:
“Winning Africa’s Bank of the Year for the third time in five years is not by chance; it is a testament to disciplined execution, innovation, and a deep understanding of the markets we serve.”
His statement echoes what analysts have oobserve that UBA is not expanding for size, but for meaningful impact.
A Network Empowering Economies
With 25,000 staff and 45 million customers served across:
20 African markets, United Kingdom, United States, France and United Arab Emirates
UBA is arguably Africa’s most globally connected financial brand.
This reach enables:
✔ cross-border trade flows
✔ credit access
✔ infrastructure financing
Across government, households and business sectors, UBA has become a financial partner shaping development trajectories.
A Decade of Deliberate Consistency
What stands out about UBA’s 2025 achievement is not the awards but the continuity of success.
Winning 3 continental awards in 5 years, dominating country-level wins and sustaining performance across markets
These reflect institutional maturity, governance stability and strategic foresight unmatched by peers.
UBA has proven that an African bank can achieve global relevance without losing its continental identity.
The Road Ahead: Rising Still
From digital banking leadership to financial inclusion, trade integration, and artificial intelligence in service delivery, UBA’s ambitions remain expansive.
Industry players expect the next decade to see:
deeper digital penetration, more cross-border payment capabilities, continental lending expansion and fintech collaborations
If current momentum is a guide, UBA will not just participate; it will continue to shape Africa’s banking future.
UBA’s 2025 sweep at The Banker Awards is not a celebration of the present only but an affirmation of ten years of discipline, innovation, people development, and continental vision.
Once again, Africa’s Global Bank has shown the world that excellence is not accidental but engineered, nurtured, and sustained.
UBA reigns as Africa’s No.1 Bank once again; verified, validated, and visible.
