United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc has been named African Bank of the Year 2025 by The Banker, marking the third time the bank is receiving the honour in five years.
UBA also won 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 this year to 10.
The awards were presented at The Banker’s Bank of the Year ceremony held at the Peninsula, London, on Wednesday.
UBA UK CEO, Deji Adeyelure, received the awards on behalf of the group managing director/CEO, Oliver Alawuba.
He was joined by the bank’s Head of Business Development, Mark Ifashe and Head of Financial Institutions, Shilpam Jha.
In its remarks, The Banker said, “For the third time in five years, UBA Group has won the 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 (one more than it gained for its last continental win in 2024), equivalent to around a quarter of the awards for the continent, and more than any of its continent-wide rivals.”
It added, “The awards were won across a broad geographic spread, going to lenders based in ECOWAS (Benin, Liberia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, and former member Mali), CEMAC (Chad, Republic of Congo) and SADC (Mozambique, Zambia). Its award wins were notable in the categories for Benin and Mozambique.”
The publication also noted UBA’s financial performance and growth plans.
It stated that in 2024, the Group recorded a 46.8 percent increase in assets and a 6.1 percent rise in pre-tax profits in local currency terms while continuing to invest in talent and technology.
It added that West Africa remains UBA’s heartland, with operating revenue and profit rising by 87 percent and 89 percent respectively in the first half of 2025.
The Banker further highlighted UBA’s digital initiatives, including the Advance Top-Up buy-now-pay-later feature on the *919# USSD platform and the growth of the bank’s chatbot, Leo.
It noted a 29 percent rise in Leo’s transaction volumes in H1 2025 and its introduction of cross-border payments through the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS).
Reacting to the awards, Mr Alawuba, said the recognition aligns with the bank’s long-term plans.
“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,” he said.
“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.
UBA operates in 20 African countries as well as the United Kingdom, the United States, France and the United Arab Emirates.
The bank employs 25,000 people group-wide and serves more than 45 million customers globally.
