Africa’s Global Bank, United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc, has reinforced its status as one of the continent’s most dynamic and resilient financial institutions after being named Africa’s Bank of the Year 2025 by The Banker, a Financial Times publication. This marks the third time in five years the Group has claimed the prestigious continental title.
UBA also secured Best Bank of the Year awards in nine of its 20 African subsidiaries—Benin, Chad, Republic of Congo, Liberia, Mali, Mozambique, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Zambia—bringing its total wins to ten and underscoring the breadth and strength of its Pan-African franchise.
The awards were presented at a ceremony held at The Peninsula, London. UBA UK CEO, Deji Adeyelure, received the honours on behalf of the Group Managing Director/CEO, Oliver Alawuba, accompanied by senior executives Mark Ifashe and Shilpam Jha.
The Banker praised UBA for consistently outperforming larger rivals, noting its expansive geographic spread and strong performances in highly competitive markets such as Benin and Mozambique. The publication also highlighted UBA’s robust financial results, including a 46.8% rise in assets and 6.1% increase in pre-tax profits in 2024, alongside significant investments in talent and technology.
UBA’s digital leadership also stood out, with the bank rolling out an Advance Top-Up buy-now-pay-later option on its *919# USSD platform, while its AI-powered chatbot, Leo, achieved a 29% increase in transaction volume and became the first African banking chatbot to enable cross-border payments via PAPSS.
Reacting to the recognition, GMD/CEO Oliver Alawuba said:
“This honour reflects the strength of our Pan-African network, the trust of our customers, and the commitment of our people. Winning Africa’s Bank of the Year for the third time in five years is proof of disciplined execution, innovation, and a deep understanding of African markets.”
He added that UBA remains committed to financial inclusion, economic development, and technology-driven banking.
With 25,000 employees and over 45 million customers across Africa, Europe, the Middle East and North America, UBA continues to consolidate its position as a leading force in global and African banking.
