By Aminat Misikilu
Africa’s Global Bank, United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc has been named Africa’s Bank of the Year 2025 by The Banker, making it the third time in five years that the bank will receive the continent’s top banking award.
The Banker.com, a leading global finance publication of the Financial Times, made the announcement at its annual Bank of the Year Awards, held at the Peninsula, London. The Banker’s awards are widely regarded as the most respected and rigorous in the global banking industry.
UBA also won the Bank of the Year award in nine of its 20 African subsidiaries, including UBA Benin, UBA Liberia, UBA Mali, UBA Senegal, UBA Sierra Leone, UBA Chad, UBA Republic of Congo (Congo-Brazzaville), as well as UBA Mozambique and UBA Zambia. This brings its total honours this year to 10, and highlights its market leadership across West, Central and Southern Africa.
The Chief Executive Officer , UBA UK, Deji Adeyelure received the awards on behalf of the bank, representing the Group Managing Director/CEO, Oliver Alawuba.
The Banker applauds UBA’s financial strength, digital leadership
In its remarks on UBA’s winnings, the banker.com highlighted UBA’s remarkable performance saying, “For the third time in five years, UBA Group has won the coveted Bank of the Year award for Africa. UBA Group 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 Banker also commended the broad geographic spread of the wins, which included highly competitive categories like Benin and Mozambique, highlighting UBA’s strong financial performance and commitment to future growth, noting significant investment in talent and technology.
It stated that in 2024, the Group recorded a 46.8 per cent increase in assets and a 6.1 per cent rise in pre-tax profits, in local currency terms. It further revealed that West Africa remains UBA’s heartland, with operating revenue and profit increasing by 87 per cent and 89 per cent respectively in the first half of 2025.
The Banker also recognised UBA’s digital leadership. According to the publication, UBA during the year under review launched its Advance Top-Up buy-now-pay-later feature on the *919# USSD platform while the bank’s chatbot, Leo, continued its strong growth, with transaction volumes rising by 29 per cent year-on-year in the first half of 2025. In August, Leo became the first African banking chatbot to enable cross-border payments via the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS).
Management’s reaction to victory
Mr Alawuba, said the recognition affirms the bank’s long-term strategy and customer-first philosophy.
Commenting on the award, Mr Alawuba said, “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 not by chance; it is a testament to disciplined execution, innovation, and a deep understanding of the markets we serve.”
“Our nine country awards across diverse regions of Africa show that UBA is not just growing, but growing 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,” he added.
About United Bank for Africa
United Bank for Africa (UBA) is one of the largest employers in the financial sector on the African continent, with 25,000 employees group-wide and serving over 45 million customers globally.
Operating in 20 African countries, the United Kingdom, the United States of America, France and the United Arab Emirates, UBA provides retail, commercial and institutional banking services, leading financial inclusion and implementing cutting-edge technology.
