United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc, yesterday inducted over 700 graduates into the UBA Tribe after a rigorous six-month hands-on-work and learning experience at the maiden edition of its expanded Graduate Management Accelerated Programme (GMAP).
The Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria’s (CIBN) accredited programme and adopted from the globally recognised graduate training programme, is aimed at building capacity of fresh graduates who are trained as professionals for accelerated career growth to leadership and key positions.
The graduands, from across its 19 African subsidiaries, completed an intense capacity-building programme, combining learning with on-the-job training experience, garnered while rotating across the bank departments and units.
Chairman of UBA, Tony Elumelu, who spoke about the importance of prioritising human capital development, commended the robust programme that churned out bright and promising professionals, poised to take the bank to another level.
“It is important to develop platforms for people to grow. We would love to see our future CEO’s from this programme and I hope that the enthusiasm, excitement, and energy I see and feel in this room today translates into the greatness we anticipate so that this young bright professionals can help take UBA to the next level,” Elumelu said .
“UBA is giving opportunities to young Africans, by addressing unemployment on the continent. Employment of these large numbers of young people at this time explains the role our Bank is playing in engineering growth and development across Africa,” he said.
Speaking at the event, Group Managing Director, Oliver Alawuba said that the Bank’s future is guaranteed considering the quality of the graduands produced and the commitment shown by participants over the course of the programme.
“I have observed, with pride, the dedication, resilience, and unwavering commitment shown by all participants of the GMAP program and delighted. The role of participants is pivotal in providing the much-needed resource required to make the participants of the programme successful as they kick-start their careers.”.
“In UBA, we give everyone equal opportunity to achieve their dreams, irrespective of age, tribe, gender, and background. the transformation of our dear continent, Africa, is very important to our vision. To achieve this mandate, we need believers, doers, and agents of transformation”. “Today, you have become an instrument that will transport our countries and continent to the new world order”, Alawuba said .
United Bank for Africa (UBA) has promised sustain the high profitability it recorded in its half-year results during the second half of the year.
It said the sustained profitability will be anchored on customer-centric values implementation.
The bank reiterated commitment to rendering excellent services to its customers and staying focused on its strategy and corporate objectives.
The bank’s management assured its stakeholders, including shareholders, local and foreign investors, as well as its teeming customers of its commitment to customer-centric values with the aim of building upon its successes to drive further growth by the end of the current financial year.
UBA’s Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Oliver Alawuba, who addressed participants at the first half 2023 Investor Conference Call Presentation last week, explained that the bank’s impressive performance was characterised by robust revenue generation, prudent cost management, and strategic capital allocation.
According to him, these achievements have provided the bank with a solid foundation upon which to further enhance its position as a leading financial institution in Africa and beyond.
In its first half-year results ended June 30, the bank showcased financial resilience and strength, surpassing expectation with remarkable performance. The bank reported a profit before tax of N404 billion, representing a rise by 371 per cent, compared to N85.75 billion recorded in the first half of 2022.
With the performance, UBA ranks as the most profitable financial institution in Nigeria.
The result also showed that the bank’s operating income grew by 206.6 per cent to N783.96 billion in June 2023; higher than N255.67 billion reported a year earlier, just as it delivered a 164 per cent growth in its gross earnings which rose to N981.78 billion as at June 2023, up from N372.36 billion recorded last year in June 2022.
Alawuba said: “These figures reflect our ability to finance future growth and help individual customers, families, businesses and non-profit organisations to carry out their projects. At UBA, we remain focused on our Customer First philosophy and growing our share in the various markets we operate.
“Thanks to our scale, geographic footprint and business diversification, we have numerous opportunities to grow, which should allow us to remain our customers’ first choice and to make the most of those opportunities, our focus is on implementing plans that enhance the existing network across all the countries and businesses, and improving the profitability of our core businesses through disciplined capital allocation.”
Last week, the bank announced the rolling out of a special financing initiative aimed at powering the growth of small and medium scale enterprises (SMEs) all over Africa. In partnership with the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) secretariat, UBA is to inject up to $6 billion into eligible SMEs across Africa over the next three years.
“Under the initiative, SMEs specializing in agro-processing, pharmaceuticals, automotive and transport, and logistics will have access to tailored financing solutions. This move is especially beneficial for businesses that operate within these sectors which heavily rely on imports,” Alawuba said.
The banks Executive Director Finance & Risk Management, Ugo Nwaghodoh, spoke of the bank’s investment in digital banking, adding that the bank continues to gain traction from its huge investments in technology.
“Our investments in state-of-the-art technology continue to yield expected results, evident in the huge boost of our digital banking income, which grew 53,7 per cent year-on-year to N57.2 billion.
“These gains have enabled us optimize net earnings amid the accelerating inflationary pressure, currency devaluation, and increased regulatory induced cost,” he explained.
He added that focusing on the bank’s sustained growth across its African markets, UBA remains focused towards delivering innovative and personalised financial products and services that cater to the unique needs of its diverse customer base.
United Bank for Africa (UBA) has inaugurated $6 billion financing initiative to accelerate Small and Medium scale Enterprises (SMEs) growth across Africa.
Through this initiative, UBA will be giving Agro-processing, Pharmaceuticals, Automotive, Transport and Logistics- focused SMEs funding access to grow their operations.
The financing initiative is powered by UBA’s partnership with the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) secretariat to provide $6 billion financing to eligible SMEs across Africa over the next three years.
The agreement was signed on the sidelines of the 30th Afreximbank Annual Meeting (AAM) was held in Accra, Ghana.
By the agreement, UBA and AfCFTA will, under the first phase of the partnership, promote the development of SMEs by providing technical and financing solutions for intra-African/domestic alternatives.
The Deputy Managing Director of UBA, Muyiwa Akinyemi, who signed the agreement on behalf of the bank, noted that being Africa’s global bank, UBA remains committed to supporting the growth/development of SMEs across Africa.
This is in line with our strategic focus on the SME segment being a catalyst for the economic development of Africa.
Muyiwa further said, “Under this partnership, UBA will go beyond just financing to provide non-financial services to these SMEs to develop the capacity for growth across the 20 African countries that we are present and build sustainable business practices. We shall also be leveraging technology to deliver our financing activities to the beneficiaries and this platform provides us with a unique opportunity to stimulate the development of the continent as Africa’s Global Bank.”
UBA’s Group Head, Marketing and Corporate Communications, Alero Ladipo, noted that the $240,000 financing by the bank will be in the form of working capital loans and asset finance loans, with the aim of positioning the businesses for growth and success in the evolving African business landscape.
She explained that the SMEs in the particular sectors of Agro-processing, Automotive, pharmaceuticals, Transport and Logistics, will be able to access a working Capital Loan by way of Overdrafts and Short-Term Loans with a maximum value of $120,000 in each of their country’s local currency; and asset Finance Loan of up to $120,000 in the local currency of the obligor, to use for the acquisition of operational assets and equipment to meet their business expansion needs.
Ladipo also pointed out that this strategic move aligns with UBA’s vision to be a catalyst for economic development across Africa, as she noted that by empowering SMEs in key sectors, the bank is fostering job creation, enhancing local production, and promoting intra-African trade, all of which are pivotal goals of the AfCFTA agreement.
In addition to financial support, she emphasized the bank’s commitment towards providing capacity-building opportunities for SMEs, through various training programs and resources, and how UBA aims to equip the businesses with the knowledge and skills needed to thrive in a competitive market environment.
She said, “UBA recognises the critical role that SMEs play in driving economic growth and job creation. To facilitate their growth and success. To this end, We are proud to be at the forefront of driving entrepreneurship in Africa. Our partnership with AfCFTA and our commitment to SMEs in these critical sectors reflect our dedication to the economic transformation of our continent. We believe that this initiative will not only benefit individual businesses but will also contribute significantly to the overall development and prosperity of Africa.”
UBA is a leading pan-African financial institution, offering banking services to more than thirty-seven million customers across 1,000 business offices and customer touch points in 20 African countries.
With a presence in New York, London, Paris, Cayman Island and now the UAE, UBA is connecting people and businesses across Africa through retail, commercial and corporate banking, innovative cross-border payments and remittances, trade finance and ancillary banking services.
United Bank for Africa (UBA) has hinted of plans to sponsor the 2023 edition of the annual Lagos International Trade Fair.
In partnership with the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), organisers of the annual event, UBA also seeks to bolster small and medium scale businesses, while catalysing entrepreneurial growth across the continent.
For the past five years, UBA has been the headline sponsor for this all-important event, and this year’s edition which is the 37th, is scheduled to hold at the Tafawa Balewa Square, Lagos, between November 3rd and 12th, 2023.
Speaking at a press briefing in the Commerce House, Lagos on Thursday to announce the partnership, the Chairman Trade Promotion Board, LCCI, Engr. Leye Kupoluyi, commended UBA for once again sponsoring the Trade fair.
He told participants that this edition promises to provide networking opportunities, showcasing innovation, promoting international trade, industry and sector diversity while boosting local businesses.
He said the local organising committee is bringing world class facilities and ambience with the best exhibition standard, health, safety and deployment of digital banking platforms provided by the bank for the ease of money transactions and intra-Africa fund transfers.
UBA’s Head, SME Banking, Babatunde Ajayi, who spoke on the partnership said, “UBA’s partnership with the LCCI emphasises its support for local businesses and the community. We at UBA, consider this as exemplary which is why our partnership with LCCI continues to stand the test of time. There is no gain saying that in virtually all economies all over the world – developed and developing alike, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are critical to the generation of economic activity and to long-term sustainability.”
He explained that the bank’s commitment to offer special incentives to businesses that register to attend the fair is In line with UBA’s unflinching support to the growth of small and medium enterprises (SMEs), maintaining that “UBA will be giving special incentives to businesses who register to attend the fair,” Ajayi noted.
UBA is a leading pan-African financial institution, offering banking services to more than thirty-seven million customers across 1,000 business offices and customer touch points in 20 African countries. With presence in New York, London, Cayman Island and Paris and now the UAE, UBA is connecting people and businesses across Africa through retail, commercial and corporate banking, innovative cross-border payments and remittances, trade finance and ancillary banking services.
United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc has introduced another innovative payment method called NQR.
The platform is an indigenous QR-code-based payments and collections solution to enhance customers’ experience for merchants and buyers.
The key element of the NQR is embedded in the UBA mobile banking app.
It is powered by the Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System (NIBSS).
Head, Digital Banking, Olukayode Olubiyi, said: “Our customers are at the heart of our business. That’s why we keep going the extra mile to constantly innovate in a bid to satisfy them. As we very well know Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) contribute significantly to the economy but remain heavily dependent on cash to run their businesses; however, consumers are demanding safer and more convenient ways to pay.”
“That is why we have partnered with NIBSS to introduce the NQR (NIBSS QR), which is a safe, contactless payment platform for merchants and customers to receive and make QR code-based payments for goods and services”.
Olubiyi added, “This payment method is a contactless solution, poised to give customers a unique experience as it is seamless, fast, easy, secure, reliable, and account-based option dedicated to receive and pay for goods and services at their convenience”.
He also explained that the NQR is loaded with enormous benefits, including the fact that payments are instant, can be made without using a debit card, customers are only require to scan the code to pay; and each NQR payment can be integrated into the merchant’s cash register to make book balancing seamless which means manual book keeping is not needed.
“Also, when payments are made, there is the presence of Instant value and verification of all payments as merchants receive notification immediately after a transaction has been completed by a buyer. Another benefit is that NQR codes can be synced with a POS printer to print receipts for further bookkeeping purposes,” Olubiyi said.
United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc grew its pre-tax profit by 371 per cent to N404 billion in the first half.
The audited results for the first half ended June 30, 2023 released yesterday at the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) showed that UBA recorded triple-digit growths across major income lines, as the pan-African banking group continued to show substantial progress in increasing the contribution and market share from its subsidiaries in Africa and globally.
The six-month report showed that UBA’s profit before tax rose from N85.75 billion in first half 2022 to N404 billion in first half 2023. Profit after tax jumped by 437.8 per cent to N378.24 billion in first half 2023. Gross earnings leapt by 164 per cent to N981.78 billion in June 2023 as against N372.36 billion in comparable period of June 2022.
The impressive performance prompted the board of the bank to increase interim dividend payouts by 150 per cent. Shareholders will receive N17.1 billion as interim dividend for the first half 2023 as against N6.84 billion paid for first half 2022. This implies a dividend per share of 50 kobo in first half 2023 as against 20 kobo paid for first half 2022.
The balance sheet indicated that total assets continued on upward trajectory, rising above the N15 trillion mark. It hit N15.38 trillion, representing a 41.7 per cent leap up from N10.86 trillion recorded at the end of last year. Customer deposits also rose by 42.4 per cent to N11.14 trillion in the period under consideration; as against N7.8 trillion recorded at the end of 2022 while shareholders’ funds increased to N1.712 trillion reflecting the group’s strong capacity for internal capital generation.
The bank’s operating income equally grew by 206.6 per cent to N783.96 billion in June 2023; higher than N255.67 billion reported a year earlier.
The report indicated annualised return on average equity of 57.7 per cent as against 17.1 per cent it recorded last year.
Group Managing Director, United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc, Oliver Alawuba said the exceptional performance underscored the group’s commitment to consistently deliver value to its shareholders.
According to him, the group made progress in digital payments, retail penetration and also benefitted from the effect of revaluation gains, arising from the harmonization of foreign exchange rates at the different access windows.
He said: “The group recorded strong double-digit growth in revenues and profits from its operations, the result also reflects the effect of sizeable revaluation gains, arising from the harmonization of currency exchange rates in Nigeria.
“Our reporting currency found a new exchange level at about N756 per dollar as of 30th June, compared to N465 at the beginning of the year. The results again demonstrate the benefits of our long-held diversification strategy across Africa and globally. The growth of our international business, most recently in the UAE, only reinforces this earnings quality.
”Our business is on a steady growth trajectory, as we further strengthen our risk management traditions and practices necessary technology investments to deliver premium service to our customers.
“We have also continued to finance landmark projects in critical sectors of the economies across Africa, facilitating intra-Africa trade with our valuable offerings and provide a versatile last-mile distribution network for Africa-bound donor and multilateral agency funds.”
UBA’s Executive Director Finance & Risk, Ugo Nwaghodoh, said the half year financial numbers reflect an excellent performance across key metrics, as the bank diligently executes its strategic priorities.
“Our half year 2023 financial numbers reflect excellent performance across key metrics, as we diligently execute our priorities for the year. Annualised return on average equity at 57.7 per cent was bolstered by improved operating income and revaluation gains.”
“It also pointed out that the group maintains robust capital buffers to support business growth and loss absorbency. The group’s shareholders’ funds stood at N1.7 trillion, with a capital adequacy ratio of 36.4 per cent,” Nwaghodoh said.
Now in its 13th year, the annual National Essay Competition is part of UBA Foundation’s education initiative aimed at promoting literacy and encouraging healthy and intellectual competition amongst senior secondary school students in Nigeria and across the African continent.
The 2023 edition promises increased participation from senior secondary school students across Nigeria as they can conveniently submit their entries from the comfort of their homes or schools through the UBA Foundation NEC digital submission portal.
The essay topic for this year is “Will Artificial Intelligence(AI)take over Human Intelligence? what should students do to ensure AI doesn’t override but enhance their ability to learn through research?”. Students are expected to properly research, write, scan and upload their handwritten essays to the digital portal on or before October 20th, 2023.
The first prize winner will receive an educational grant of N5 million to study at any African university of their choice, whilst the second and third prizes now stand at N3 million and N2.5 million educational grants for any African University.
Also, winners of the 12 best essays, will go home with brand new Laptops and other educational tools to help them with their studies and other tertiary research work.
The Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, UBA Foundation, Mrs. Bola Atta, said that with the digital submission portal, more students in senior secondary schools across the country now have the opportunity to scan and send in their entries and compete to win any of the educational grants for study at any university of their choice on the African continent.
She said, “We have worked hard to ensure that every Nigerian high school student who wishes to, will be able to enter for the NEC 2023 and stand a chance to win a fully funded University education through the UBA Foundation.”
“For several years, we have upgraded our processes to ensure that our UBA Foundation programmes continue to impact lives in meaningful ways. We realise that the use of technologically driven initiatives is part of modern day and we would like to reach students in their comfort zones, which is why we encourage students to submit their essays digitally.”
She pointed out that the submissions will be evaluated by judges who are professors from reputable Nigerian Universities. The professors will select the top 12 finalists who will take home consolation prizes including personal computers. These 12 finalists will also write another supervised essay where the top three winners will be announced at the grand finale to be held in November at UBA’s head office in Lagos, Nigeria.
The National Essay Competition has been rolled out in other African countries where UBA operates, in order to open-up the opportunity for more African children to benefit from the educational grants.
UBA Foundation embodies the UBA Group’s CSR objectives and seeks to impact positively on societies through several laudable projects and initiatives. The Foundation through its Education pillar has donated hundreds of thousands of books to students across Africa under the ‘Read Africa’ initiative aimed at encouraging and promoting the reading culture in African youths. Its National Essay Competition has also afforded the opportunity to hundreds of students to improve their lives through higher education.
Of the 16 newly elected Governors in the country, Senator Uba Sani, the young and ebullient Governor of Kaduna State seems the most prepared for the top job. For one, Senator Sani is thoroughly rounded in administration and governance. Better still, the Kaduna State Governor has a firm understanding of the workings of all arms and tiers of Government at both the Federal and State levels.
Though Governor Uba Sani started out as a fiery pro-democracy and human rights activist in the heady days of military rule in Nigeria – working closely with pro-democracy icons of that era like the late Chief Gani Fawehinmi, Beko Ransome-Kuti, Chima Ubani, Yinka and (his wife) Joe Okei-Odumakin, among others; with the nation’s eventual attainment of democratic rule in 1999, Uba Sani retreated to his professional training as an Engineer and calling as a businessman. Today, however, Governor Uba Sani has become a shining symbol of careful grooming in politics and governance.
The rather down-to-earth Governor of Kaduna State is deploying inclusive governance as a very potent weapon to curb acute poverty, banditry and general insecurity in the State. The Governor makes no pretenses about his administration’s resolve to make overwhelming majority of the citizens and residents of Kaduna State, directly feel the impact of government. Uba Sani intentionally treats all the local government areas in Kaduna State as equals and spreads both infrastructural development and political patronage equally.
Even more important, Governor Uba Sani is a believer in identifying and harvesting the good in people and he readily avers that underdevelopment, poverty and lack of inclusion are at the root of the seemingly intractable security challenges that Kaduna has been battling with over the years. He seeks to change the poor narrative and status quo. Governor Uba Sani is totally committed to opening up and bringing to the mainstream all the geo-political zones in Kaduna State but specially targeting the poor, vulnerable, underserviced, youth and women population in the State.
Governor Uba Sani is building on the giant strides of his immediate predecessor, Mallam Nasir El Rufa’i without seeming to be duplicating efforts already accomplished or achieved by the phenomenal El Rufa’i. Governor Uba Sani is at home with the fact that government is a continuum. ÒOur vision is to make Kaduna the Leading Economic Hub in the North. We want to create a business cluster that will drive competition in the Northern Region. Kaduna State is rich in natural and human resources. It is the gateway to many parts of Nigeria. It is a transportation hub. The immediate past government worked assiduously to upgrade the infrastructure in the state. We are determined to build on that legacy to fasttrack the economic development of the state,Ó the Governor says.
Governor Uba Sani who proved himself as a champion of financial inclusion while he served as the Chairman of Senate Committee on Banking, Insurance and other Financial Matters between 2019 and May 29, 2023, when he was sworn-in as Governor, is leading a revolution of sorts in Kaduna State by bringing millions of underserviced persons under one form of financial service or the other.
Indeed, long before the Federal Government announced series of palliative measures aimed at cushioning the effect of the withdrawal of subsidy on petroleum products, notably PMS (petrol), Governor Uba Sani made history on Tuesday, 25 July 2023 when he signed his first Executive Order as Governor on “Financial Inclusion in Kaduna State.Ó The Order is pursuant to his administration’s efforts to address the exclusion of about 2.1 million poor, underserved and vulnerable citizens in the rural areas from financial services in Kaduna State and to ensure they benefit from the State’s and Federal Government’s Social Intervention Programmes.
ÒIn exercise of the powers conferred on me by Section 5 (2) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) and all other powers enabling me in that behalf, I make the following orders: A Financial Inclusion and Literacy Committee is hereby constituted to fashion strategies and modalities to ensure the inclusion of the poor, underserved and vulnerable in Kaduna State, as well as equip them with financial skills to enable them make sound financial and investment decisions,Ó the Governor asserts in the Executive Order.
The target of the State Government is to include about 1.2 million poor, underserved, unbanked and vulnerable citizens in the financial services sector in the next one year; The State Government, in collaboration with key stakeholders, including CSOs, NGOs and Financial Technology Companies (FINTECHS) is poised to develop a State Financial Inclusion Strategy. In this regard, the Executive Order stipulates as follows: The State Government shall develop a State Register of the Poor, Under-Served and Vulnerable. The Register will be subjected to various stages of integrity tests; The State Government shall work with banks and other financial service providers to open bank accounts for un-banked citizens, and embark on aggressive sensitisation programme to ensure the mass participation of the State’s citizens in this exercise; The State Government, in collaboration with regulatory agencies in the financial sector will organize Financial Literacy Workshops to equip citizens with financial skills that will enable them make sound financial and investment decisions.
The Executive Order further compels the Kaduna State Government to consult with key stakeholders like Traditional Rulers, Religious Leaders, Local Government Chairmen, Youth, Women and Community Development Associations to ensure the mass sensitisation and involvement of the citizens in this financial inclusion drive.
Governor Uba Sani is a strong proponent and believer in both the kinetic and non-kinetic option in battling banditry and general insecurity in Kaduna State. On the kinetic option, he has since assuming office, visited the service chiefs of the nation’s armed forces to pledge the full cooperation of Kaduna State in the fight against bandits and criminals in the State. ÒMy administration shall work very closely with the nation’s military and other security agencies in our collective efforts to rid the State of bandits and criminals. We are even prepared to fund some of their operations in our state within the little resources available to usÓ he said in a recent media chat.
Similarly, Governor Uba Sani has rebooted the Kaduna State Vigilante Service. Other than procuring needed vehicles and other equipment for the Vigilante Service, his administration is currently recruiting able young men and women into the re-energised Kaduna State Vigilante Service. The Governor says the State will recruit 7,000 persons to nudge up the current size of the Service’s personnel from 2,000 to 9,000.
ÒThroughout my stay in the Senate, I was a strong advocate of State Police; but unfortunately, the 10th National Assembly, despite our best efforts was unable to achieve this. But the law permits States to set up Vigilante Services. Ours in Kaduna State will abide by all extant laws; In fact, they will be trained at the Police College and shall work very closely with the Police. We are projecting that in a matter of days, Kaduna State will rank among the safest States in Nigeria,Ó Governor Uba Sani enthused.
On the other hand, Governor Uba Sani’s non-kinetic approach centres on taking development to the remotest parts of the State. Governor Sani, who has since taken a 50 per cent salary cut himself, wants to conquer poverty and crass deprivation in rural areas of Kaduna State, provide basic necessities and empowerment for persons leaving in rural communities, especially the youth population and women. ÒWe may not eradicate entrenched institutional causes of insecurity in Kaduna State immediately but we are on a daily basis reducing incidences of banditry, organized crimes and general insecurity in the State by deliberately targeting and meeting the needs of the poor, vulnerable and underserviced persons in our vast rural communities. Curbing insecurity is not a 100-metre dash, that is achievable in seconds like Usain Bolt; it is a marathon; I can attest to the fact that in this big race, we are taking giant strides and our efforts are yielding huge positive results, by the grace of God,Ó Gov. Uba Sani opined.
Pursuant to this goal of opening up and bringing development to all the local government areas of Kaduna State, earlier this month (August), Governor Uba Sani performed the groundbreaking of the Qatar Sanabil Project, initiated by Qatar Charity for the construction of the Kaduna Economic City and provision of Mass Housing for the Less Privileged persons in Kaduna State. He was joined at the ceremony by top officials of the Kaduna State Government, Embassy of the State of Qatar, Qatar Charity and enthusiastic citizens of our dear state.
Located at Millennium City, Kaduna, the Economic City, when completed, will provide world class infrastructure and make Kaduna a reference point in modern and affordable accommodation, adequate security and conducive atmosphere for business activities. The Economic City will facilitate international trade. It will serve as a platform for entrepreneurs and traders. It will help harness product value chain opportunities and improve economic growth. In the Economic City, there will be Houses for the Poor, Clinics, Shops, Poultry Farms, Farmlands for Rainy Season and Irrigation Farming.
ÒThe Mass Housing Project for the Less Privileged is a major contribution towards putting roofs over the heads of the poor, underserved and vulnerable in our state. This will go a long way in addressing a major gap in our Interventions in the Housing Sector over the years,Ó the Kaduna State Governor said.
Other empowerment programmes that the poor, underserved and vulnerable in Kaduna State will benefit from the Qatar Charity include: scholarships for orphans and children of the poor, distribution of sewing machines, welding machines, irrigation pumping machines, salon kits, and drilling of hundreds of boreholes across the 23 local governments of Kaduna State.
ÒOn behalf of the good people of Kaduna State, I want to specially thank Qatar Charity, as well as the Qatar Government and the Qatar Embassy in Nigeria for choosing to support the Kaduna State people with a multimillion dollars charity project, the ‘Kaduna Economic City’ that will include building of houses for the less privileged, underserved and vulnerable people, special homes for orphans, hospitals, markets, schools etc,Ó Governor Uba Sani asserted at the event.
In addition to this charitable work, the Qatar Charity will also provide startup support for small scale businesses, poultry farms and irrigation farmlands for the poor, full scholarships for thousands of orphans and poor children, provision of hundreds of boreholes across the 23 local governments amongst others.
Relatedly, pursuant to his efforts to promote digital inclusion and leverage technology to drive economic growth in Kaduna State, Governor Uba Sani has attracted digital technology giant, google, to Kaduna State. The Governor recently received a high-powered delegation from Google Africa led by its Director for West Africa, Mr. Olumide Balogun to Kaduna recently.
ÒI am glad that Google Africa has answered our call to promote digital innovation and inclusion. Kaduna State has a high digital maturity index. We have creative and talented young people who are ready and motivated to learn, especially in this age of Artificial Intelligence,Ó an elated Governor Uba Sani said at the meeting.
The Kaduna State Government in collaboration with Google, will train 5,000 women and girls in data science, artificial intelligence, and entrepreneurial application of digital technologies. The programme will be executed by Data Science Nigeria, which will set up Arewa Tech4Ladies. This initiative is crafted to serve four key semi-urban and rural communities in Kaduna State, offering specialised women-focused learning, mentoring, and job placement support facilities.
Governor Uba Sani said that the Kaduna State Government will give Google and its partners the necessary support to effectively implement this laudable initiative.
Following a recent outbreak of diphtheria along the Kaduna medical corridors, Governor Uba Sani left nothing to chance as he mobilized his team and collaborated effectively with agencies of the Federal Government to battle the scourge. With the scare of diphtheria fully surmounted, the Governor proceeded to proactively launch a Statewide Immunization Campaign for the Prevention of the Integrated Fractional Inactivated PolioVirus Vaccine (FIPV).
Governor Sani is prioritising Human Capital Development as a key pillar of his administration’s developmental agenda. On this score, the Governor is determined to return as many indigenes of Kaduna State back to both formal and vocational education. The Governor is keen on removing all barriers to access to education for children and youths of the State.
For starters, in response to the public outcry over the seemingly prohibitive fees being charged by tertiary institutions in Kaduna State and its effect on school enrolment and retention, Governor Uba Sani directed heads of tertiary institutions in conjunction with the State’s Ministry of Education to obtain relevant information on the extant fees regime in state owned tertiary institutions. At the end of their assignment, far-reaching observations and recommendations were made for the Governor’s consideration and approval. These include: That the extant fees regime in the state-owned tertiary institutions is burdensome and has led to a significant decline in student enrolments; That the extant fees have made many students to either abandon the pursuit of tertiary education or moved to alternative institutions; That to reverse the trend mentioned, it is imperative that a competitive fees model should be adopted in the State’s tertiary institutions and that the competitive fees model responds to current realities and promotes access to quality education.
Following these recommendations, Governor Uba Sani on Monday, August 21, announced that Òas a caring, responsive and responsible government, his administration has accepted the recommendations and accordingly reviewed downwards the fees paid in all tertiary institutions owned by Kaduna Sate by between 30 per cent and 50 per centÓ. Under the new dispensation, the Governor moved the extant fee of N150,000 at the Kaduna State University to N106,000; Fees for the State-Owned Polytechnic (Nuhu Bamali Polytechnic) was reduced by 50 per cent from the extant rate of N100,000 to N50,000. In the same regard, fees paid at the State’s College of Education, Gidan Waya was reduced by 50 per cent from N75,000 to N37,000. Fees paid at the Kaduna State College of Nursing was reduced from N100,000 to N70,000, a 30 per cent reduction.
Governor Uba Sani said that the downward review of the extant fees regime in schools owned by the State aligns with his administration’s commitment to offering palliatives to cushion the effect of the rising cost of living in the polity, especially in the wake of recent petroleum subsidy removal in Nigeria.
ÒThe welfare of the people is our topmost priority. Our administration shall continue to take all measures necessary to ensure access to free and qualitative education for every child in Kaduna State from primary to secondary school; expand access to higher education; enhance Teachers’ Welfare & Teaching Standards; improve School Infrastructure; build ICT competence in our students from basic education level; and intensify investments in Technical & Vocational Education,Ó the Governor announced.
Governor Uba Sani summed up the immediate direction of his administration during the swearing-in event of the newly appointed commissioners in the State:
ÒI charge you all (Commissioners) to adopt the inclusive approach to leadership. You must build a team and see everybody as important. You must get down to work immediately and deliver on the 7-Point Agenda of our administration, namely: Safety and Security, Upgrade of Infrastructure, Strengthening Institutions, Trade and Investment, Agriculture, Investing in Human Capital, and Nurturing Citizens’ Engagement. The central focus of our administration is however the Transformation of the Rural Areas. We want to revitalize the economies of the rural areas through massive infrastructural development.
United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc has assured investors and shareholders of her continuous adherence to solid corporate governance processes as the bank honoured its ex-director, Chief Kola Jamodu.
UBA’s Group Chairman Tony Elumelu commended Jamodu’s contribution to the strong corporate governance policies at UBA currently.
He said: “Chief Jamodu is a great Nigerian, a respected man and a great non-executive director to UBA. He has been wonderful and instrumental to today’s current standing of UBA across our 20 presence countries in Africa as well as in America, United Kingdom and in Paris. He was on the board of UBA for 12 years, and in line with corporate practices, which says at the end of 12 years, you retire from the board, he is retiring and we are here to celebrate his contribution to the bank.”
Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Kennedy Uzoka, explained in fine details the impact that Jamodu’s experience has had on the bank, adding that he was able to help UBA navigate through some challenges that have made the bank come out even stronger.
He said: “Chief Kola Jamodu is a very astute financial manager with diverse experience; he is someone that has helped us as managers to look into areas that we may not have looked into. During his time, he helped us to navigate critical issues, and now UBA America is a bank on its own as is UBA UK. He was always asking the right questions which others would have missed, and this is what helped us be where we are today. He started with us when we had just a few countries of operation and now today, UBA is operating in 23 countries. Kudos to Jamodu, he will be missed.”
Singer WizKid has been announced as brand ambassador of banking giant, UBA.
This is coming barely two weeks after the release of Beyonce’s ‘Brown Skin Girl’, which he featured on.
On Sunday, WizKid attended the 2019 Tony Elumelu Foundation Forum at UBA Marketplace, Transcorp Hilton, Abuja. There, he was enaged on African music business in a chat with Group Managing Director of the United Bank for Africa, Kennedy Uzoka, titled ‘Afro Pop meets High Finance’ where he revealed that the first big amount he was offered for a deal was N250,000.
Wizkid took to Instagram to make the announcement.
“It’s official,” he wrote, posting a picture in which he stood, wearing a red jacket over red trousers beneath a signage of the bank.
“United Bank for Africa and Wizkid! Now let’s change the world. Biggest deal for Africa! $$$$$!!! #Jigga! #DoneDeal!”
Fellow artistes that cogratulated included DJ Spinall, DJ Tunez, Iam_Kcee, and Dj Enimoney.
Born Ayodeji Ibrahim Balogun, WizKid started recording music at age 11. He and some of his church friends formed a group, Glorious Five, and they managed to release a collaborative album. In 2009, he signed a record deal with Empire Mates Entertainment. He rose to prominence in 2010 with the release of the song “Holla at Your Boy” from his debut studio album, Superstar (2011). He left EME and founded Starboy Entertainment in 2013 and in February 2014, Wizkid became the first ever Nigerian musician to have over one million followers on Twitter.
He has since become an international star with several collaborations with acts like Drake, Akon, TY Dollar Sign, Chris Brown, Justine Syke, Tyga, Future, Kranium and Zaa Larsson.
