Tony O. Elumelu is a visionary entrepreneur and a philanthropist. Born, raised and educated in Africa, Mr. Elumelu has been responsible for creating businesses across the continent, in sectors critical to Africa’s economic development.

In 2010, he founded Heirs Holdings, an African investment holding company, with investments in financial services, power generation, oil and gas, agribusiness, real estate and hospitality. In the same year, he established the Tony Elumelu Foundation, an Africa-based and African-funded philanthropy, dedicated to catalyzing entrepreneurship across Africa.

He is Chairman of Heirs Holdings as well as UBA Group Plc and Transcorp Plc, which is Nigeria’s largest listed conglomerate.

In his early career, Mr. Elumelu turned the financially distressed Standard Trust Bank (STB) into a top-five financial services player in Nigeria. In 2005, he led the largest merger in the banking sector in sub-Saharan Africa, between STB and United Bank for Africa (UBA). Today, UBA operates in 19 African countries, as well as New York, London and Paris.

Mr. Elumelu is the author and leading proponent of “Africapitalism,” an economic philosophy which advocates for the private sector’s commitment to Africa’s development through long-term investment in strategic sectors of the economy, that drive economic prosperity and social wealth.

In 2003, the federal government of Nigeria conferred the honour of Member of the Federal Republic on Mr. Elumelu. In 2012 he was awarded named a Commander of the Order of the Niger for his service in promoting private enterprise. In 2013, Mr. Elumelu received the Leadership Award in Business and Philanthropy from the Africa-America Institute Awards. He was also named African Business Icon at the 2013 African Business Awards.

Mr. Elumelu presently serves as a member of the Global Advisory Board of the United Nations Sustainable Energy for All Initiative (SE4ALL) and USAID’s Private Capital Group for Africa Partners Forum.

He sits on the Nigerian President’s Agricultural Transformation Implementation Council and serves as Co-Chair of the Aspen Institute Dialogue Series on Global Food Security. He played a leading role in the formation of the National Competitiveness Council of Nigeria and now serves as its vice chairman. He chairs the Ministerial Committee to establish world-class hospitals and diagnostic centres across Nigeria, at the invitation of the Federal Government.

Mr. Elumelu is on Twitter @TonyOElumelu. For further information, please go to: www.tonyelumelu.com

Ambassador Joseph Keshi was appointed the Vice Chairman of UBA in 2011. A career diplomat of over thirty-five years; Amb. Keshi’s experience has included serving Nigeria in some of its most eminent government departments. He successfully served as Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, The Cabinet Secretariat and The Ministry of the Presidency.

His work has taken him across four continents where he was Charge d’Affaires for the Embassy of Nigeria in The Hague, Netherlands and was Consul-General of Nigeria in Atlanta, Georgia. Ambassador Keshi has also ardently championed Nigeria being better perceived on the international stage, critical to the country’s growth and development. His work at UBA sees him supporting the Executive Management in their steering the organisation to achieving its goal of serving all of its customers. Amb. Keshi is the holder of a BSc in Political Science from the University of Ibadan and an M.A. in Administration and Development from the Institute of Social Studies, The Hague.

Mr. Kennedy Uzoka is the General Managing Director/ CEO of UBA. Mr. Uzoka has had a lengthy career at the bank, which over the course of two decades has seen him at the helm of a number of critical departments. Prior to his appointment as GMD/CEO, he was the Deputy Managing Director and CEO of UBA Africa.

A keen adaptor of technology and modernity, Mr. Uzoka has supervised two strategic support functions in the bank: Information Technology and E-Banking. Most recently, Mr. Uzoka has spearheaded the Customer Focused revolution in the bank which has created a fully digital, 24/7 user-friendly experience that aims to anticipate and fulfill our customer’s expectations.

Mr. Uzoka’s career commenced at Standard Trust Bank where prior to the merger he served as Regional Director South East and Chief Marketing Officer of the bank. His extensive experience within UBA has given him a birds’ eye view of the organisation’s capabilities and he is committed to enhancing performance, delivery, and processes to ensure that customers, large and small, investors and shareholders see UBA as their preferred financial institution. Prior to his role as CEO, UBA Africa he was Head of Strategy and Business Transformation, Head of Resources and supervised the bank’s businesses in New York and London.

Mr. Uzoka is the holder of a BSc in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Benin an MBA from the University of Lagos and an AMP from Harvard Business School.

Currently the CEO Africa, Anglophone, joined the UBA Group in 1997. A member of the Association of Bank Directors in Nigeria and also a Catholic Knight, Oliver had previously supervised the Bank’s Public Sector and Personal Banking businesses. Oliver has over 25 years of banking experience.

Liadi Ayoku has over 20 years’ banking experience, having worked in Tier 1 banks in Nigeria and in West Africa, before joining UBA in January 2014 as the Director for Lagos and West Bank, overseeing over 200 branches of UBA. A Chartered Accountant and graduate of Business Management from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Ayo received the Dean’s Award for Outstanding Academic Performance.

Appointed Executive Director/GCOO

Chiugo holds a first-class honors degree in Engineering from the University of Nigeria Nsukka, and a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Lagos. A fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN), Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN) and Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria (CITN), Chiugo’s career spans over 20 years in the Banking industry.

Prior to UBA, he was an Executive Director and Chief Financial Officer of Diamond Bank Plc, a position he held until the merger of Diamond Bank and Access Bank in April 2019.

In the course of his career, Chiugo has served as a member of the Board of Trustees, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Banking Industry Resolution Trust fund, as well as a member of the Audit Committee of the Nigeria Interbank Settlement Systems (NIBSS).

He has been involved in several transformational projects and has in-depth knowledge and experience in Financial Control, Mergers and Acquisition, Investor Relations, Cost Management, and Business Transformation.

He has attended various international and local courses including the Advanced Management Program (AMP) of the Wharton Business School (University of Pennsylvania), Driving Strategic Impact Program of the Columbia Business School and the HSBC International Bankers’ course in London. He is also an alumnus of the Lagos Business School (Pan-African University) Senior Management Program (SMP).

Chiugo joined United Bank for Africa in May 2019.

Chukwuma Nweke, currently the Head of Operations and Information Technology, is an Accounting graduate of the University of Nigeria at Nsukka (best graduating student) and holds an MBA from the same university. Chuks is also a qualified Chartered Accountant. He has over 25 years of banking experience.

The Group Chief Risk Officer, is a Chartered Accountant, with an MBA from the University of Benin. He has been with the Group since 2006 and has served in a number of prominent roles, first as Group Head of Operations in South and South East Banks and then for a period of five years, as General Manager at the Bank’s New York branch. Uche has over 27 years of banking experience.

Ibrahim Puri, currently the Directorate Head of the North Bank, is a graduate of Banking and Finance. He joined the UBA Group in 2006 and has contributed immensely to the growth of the bank in both the private and public sectors. Ibrahim has over 25 years of banking experience.

Mr. Isaac Olukayode Fasola is a consummate professional with over 30 years’ cognate experience obtained from Management and Board positions covering banking operations, risk management, credit analysis, insurance, asset management, business strategy/development, performance management, and corporate governance. Mr. Fasola previously served as an Executive Director of a commercial Bank in Nigeria. Mr. Fasola holds 2 MBAs and is pursuing a Ph.D. in Business Administration.

Mrs. Onari Duke has led a distinguished career which has straddled the roles of lawyer, public servant, entrepreneur and philanthropist. The former First Lady of Cross Rivers State, Nigeria, Mrs. Duke used her position to raise awareness and currently serves as the Country Director of EMPRETEC Nigeria Foundation; a United Nations Centre for Trade & Development (UNCTAD) Private Sector Support Initiative that aims to assist Nigerians to achieve high levels of productivity and competitiveness among SMEs.

Mrs. Duke is also the Managing Partner of the law firm Duke and Bobmanuel. She is a certified Mediation/Dispute Resolution Consultant. In addition to this she serves as the Executive Chairman of Allied Merchants & Brokers Limited, a leading merchandising and brokerage firm.

Mr. Abdulqadir J. Bello, a Chartered Accountant, has over 30 years’ corporate experience in the banking sector, during which period he held several senior Management positions in various Banks. He also previously served as the Group Chief Credit Officer of UBA and thereafter as the Executive Director in charge of Risk Management for UBA Group.

High Chief Samuel Oni is a career banker with over 30 years’ experience who has held several senior roles within the Central Bank of Nigeria. Prior to his retirement, High Chief Oni was the Director of Banking Supervision at the CBN and played a critical role during the 2009 banking financial crisis. His timely interventions resulted in him receiving a special commendation from the Board of the CBN.

Additionally, High Chief Oni was the Chairman of the committee set up by the CBN to supervise the establishment of the Asset Management Corporation Nigeria (AMCON). An accountant by training, he is a Fellow of the Association of Certified Chartered Accountants, London and the Institute of Chartered Accountants, Nigeria.
High Chief Samuel Oni holds an MBA (Finance) from the University of Ilorin.

Ms. Angela Aneke is a board advisor, banker and a strategic thinker with over 30 years’ experience in financial services, in the areas of financial control, strategy, transaction banking, corporate banking, retail banking, and governance. Ms. Aneke has held executive management and board positions in several international and regional institutions, including Ecobank Transnational Incorporated and the United Bank for Africa.

Mr. Kennedy Uzoka is the General Managing Director/ CEO of UBA. Mr. Uzoka has had a lengthy career at the bank, which over the course of two decades has seen him at the helm of a number of critical departments. Prior to his appointment as GMD/CEO, he was the Deputy Managing Director and CEO of UBA Africa.

A keen adaptor of technology and modernity, Mr. Uzoka has supervised two strategic support functions in the bank: Information Technology and E-Banking. Most recently, Mr. Uzoka has spearheaded the Customer Focused revolution in the bank which has created a fully digital, 24/7 user-friendly experience that aims to anticipate and fulfill our customer’s expectations.

Mr. Uzoka’s career commenced at Standard Trust Bank where prior to the merger he served as Regional Director South East and Chief Marketing Officer of the bank. His extensive experience within UBA has given him a birds’ eye view of the organisation’s capabilities and he is committed to enhancing performance, delivery, and processes to ensure that customers, large and small, investors and shareholders see UBA as their preferred financial institution. Prior to his role as CEO, UBA Africa he was Head of Strategy and Business Transformation, Head of Resources and supervised the bank’s businesses in New York and London.

Holds an LLB (Hons) degree from Edo State University, Ekpoma and was enrolled as a Solicitor and Advocate of the Supreme Court of Nigeria in 1990. He is a member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (United Kingdom), the Nigerian Bar Association and the International Bar Association. He has held high-level strategic positions in top financial services institutions in Nigeria with responsibilities that encompassed Asset Management, Structured Finance, Legal Advisory, Corporate Governance, Human Resource Management, Administration, Knowledge Management, and Business Communication.

Currently the CEO Africa, Anglophone, joined the UBA Group in 1997. A member of the Association of Bank Directors in Nigeria and also a Catholic Knight, Oliver had previously supervised the Bank’s Public Sector and Personal Banking businesses. Oliver has over 25 years of banking experience.

Amie has over two decades of banking experience, spanning business development, risk management, and broader executive management functions. As the Regional CEO, West Africa 2, Amie oversees the Group’s subsidiaries in Senegal, Guinea, and Mali. Prior to her current role, she was the Managing Director/CEO, UBA Senegal, one of the Group’s flagship subsidiaries that won “Bank of the Year” Award of the Banker’s Magazine (Financial Times) for six consecutive years.

Amie is renowned for her wealth of experience in corporate banking, structured finance, and SMEs lending and relationship management across the CEMAC sub-region. She has strong relationships in West, Central, and East Africa and has deep knowledge of the banking sector and the broader economy of these countries. Amie has three Masters degrees in Economics, Banking & Insurance, and Public Finance from leading universities in Senegal.

Liadi Ayoku has over 20 years’ banking experience, having worked in Tier 1 banks in Nigeria and in West Africa, before joining UBA in January 2014 as the Director for Lagos and West Bank, overseeing over 200 branches of UBA. A Chartered Accountant and graduate of Business Management from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Ayo received the Dean’s Award for Outstanding Academic Performance.

Abiola Bawuah is the Regional CEO, West Africa 1, overseeing the Group’s subsidiaries in Ghana, Benin Republic, Cote D’Ivoire, Liberia and Sierra Leone. Previously, she was the Managing Director/CEO of UBA Ghana, with enormous experience in retail banking and marketing. In 2013, she left Zenith Bank Ghana; where she was the Executive Director; having previously held the positions of the General Manager, Marketing and Group Head, Retail Banking; and joined UBA Ghana as Deputy Managing Director the same year. Mrs. Bawuah also worked with Standard Chartered Bank as the Head of Sales; with CAL Bank as Relationship Manager; Strategic African Securities as an authorized dealing broker and with the then Bentsi-Enchi and Letsa; now Bentsi-Enchil, Letsa and Ankomah law firm as an investment officer.

Bawuah holds a BSc in Actuarial Science from the University of Lagos, Nigeria, an LLB from the University of London, a diploma in Marketing from GIMPA and EMBA (Finance) from the University of Ghana. She also has numerous leadership qualifications from Harvard Business School, Columbia, University of New York, INSEAD and Institut Villa Pierrefeu in Switzerland.

Adesola has a first degree from Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife and an MBA from the Aberdeen Business School. Sola is a highly experienced banker with over 22 years of banking experience cutting across Business Development (managing Corporate and Institutional relationships), Structured Lending, Transaction Banking, Commercial Banking, Correspondent Banking, and Banking Operations.

Adesola is currently the Group Head, Global Financial Institutions for UBA Group operating out of our London office, and has responsibility for managing UBA’s relationships with Banks, Development Financial Organisations and Export Credit Agencies. In addition, she is responsible for originating and negotiating foreign currency debt funding for the Group, as well as forging and managing UBA’s strategic alliances across the globe.

She has benefited from the Judge Business School, University of Cambridge’s executive education program while also attending several industry-specific training in banking and management. Sola is a Fellow of the Chartered Management Institute, UK.

René-Laurent Alciator heads UBA’s Representative Office in France, covering relationships with cglobal corporates, financial institutions, multilateral and development organisations in continental Europe. He has 16 years of international experience in the corporate and trade finance space. René-Laurent holds a Master’s in Political Sciences from the Institut d’Etudes Politiques of Strasburg, France, a Master’s in European Management from business school ESCP Europe, Paris, France, doubled by a German Diplom-Kaufmann from the school’s campus in Berlin, Germany. He speaks fluent French, Italian, English and German.

Appointed Executive Director/GCOO

Chiugo holds a first-class honors degree in Engineering from the University of Nigeria Nsukka, and a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Lagos. A fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN), Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN) and Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria (CITN), Chiugo’s career spans over 20 years in the Banking industry.

Prior to UBA, he was an Executive Director and Chief Financial Officer of Diamond Bank Plc, a position he held until the merger of Diamond Bank and Access Bank in April 2019.

In the course of his career, Chiugo has served as a member of the Board of Trustees, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Banking Industry Resolution Trust fund, as well as a member of the Audit Committee of the Nigeria Interbank Settlement Systems (NIBSS).

He has been involved in several transformational projects and has in-depth knowledge and experience in Financial Control, Mergers and Acquisition, Investor Relations, Cost Management, and Business Transformation.

He has attended various international and local courses including the Advanced Management Program (AMP) of the Wharton Business School (University of Pennsylvania), Driving Strategic Impact Program of the Columbia Business School and the HSBC International Bankers’ course in London. He is also an alumnus of the Lagos Business School (Pan-African University) Senior Management Program (SMP).

Chiugo joined United Bank for Africa in May 2019.

Chukwuma Nweke, currently the Head of Operations and Information Technology, is an Accounting graduate of the University of Nigeria at Nsukka (best graduating student) and holds an MBA from the same university. Chuks is also a qualified Chartered Accountant. He has over 25 years of banking experience.

The Group Chief Risk Officer, is a Chartered Accountant, with an MBA from the University of Benin. He has been with the Group since 2006 and has served in a number of prominent roles, first as Group Head of Operations in South and South East Banks and then for a period of five years, as General Manager at the Bank’s New York branch. Uche has over 27 years of banking experience.

Ibrahim Puri, currently the Directorate Head of the North Bank, is a graduate of Banking and Finance. He joined the UBA Group in 2006 and has contributed immensely to the growth of the bank in both the private and public sectors. Ibrahim has over 25 years of banking experience.

Muyiwa holds a B.Sc degree in Accounting from Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria and he is an associate of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria, as well as a member of various professional institutes.

He is a Seasoned Financial Analyst, Corporate and Investment Banker with over two decades experience spanning Business Advisory, Financial Control, Investment Banking, Capital Market Services, Wholesale Banking, Energy, Government, and Corporate Banking, in Nigeria and across Africa. Prior to his current role, he was Director, Wholesale Banking, Rest of Africa, CEO, UBA Kenya, Head, Investment Banking, Head, Global Corporates, Regional Director, Retail Banking in UBA and erstwhile Standard Trust Bank Plc. Before joining Standard Trust Bank/UBA in 1998, he had worked with Diamond Bank after having a stint in audit and financial services firms.

Muyiwa was trained in leading institutions, including Harvard Business School, Wits Business School, South Africa, amongst others.

Ebele holds a B.Sc (Honours) degree in Accounting from the University of Lagos and an MBA (IT and Management) from CASS Business School, London.

His professional career started at Price Waterhouse in 1991, before his foray into banking, where he has spent the last two decades working at international banks such as Citibank and Standard Chartered Bank, before joining UBA in 2004. His banking experience spans various areas of banking from Asset Based Finance to Core Corporate Banking and Trade Finance.

Prior to his current role, he was MD/CEO, UBA Capital Europe Limited and the pioneer MD/CEO, UBA Liberia.

Bola Atta was voted one of the top 40 Nigerians under 40 in 2008. She was also celebrated as one of the 100 most influential women in Nigeria in March 2015. A graduate of Economics with MBA in Marketing, she has over 25 years of experience in diverse fields ranging from Banking, Business, Communications, Publishing, Entertainment, and the Media. Approximately 17 out of these 25+ years have been in high-level management and entrepreneurship, enabling her to gain expertise in each of these varied fields of work. She has worked in private enterprise and with government agencies both in Nigeria and South Africa using her expertise in public relations and increasing her wide network within Africa. In 2003, she was invited by the African Leadership Institute in partnership with the UNDP to work on a panel for the development of scenarios for South Africa in 2020. This week-long seminar brought together young leaders from all parts of Africa to map out scenarios for the future not only of South Africa but of the entire continent. It has since evolved into the Bishop Tutu Fellows for young African Leaders.

Former Editor-in-chief of Africa’s leading publication, True Love magazine, Atta who is the Executive Producer of acclaimed Africa’s Next Top Model series, now works as the Group Head of Communications for the United Bank for Africa. Her role involves, but is not limited to, directing the development and execution of global marketing and communications initiatives for the Bank as well as managing brand delivery and consistency across all markets and for all products line. In furtherance of her duties, she recently attended the High Potential Leadership Programme at the Harvard Business School.

Sanusi holds a B.Sc in Accounting from Ahmadu Bellow University, Zaria. He is Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria, and an alumnus of the Harvard Business School. He has over 28 years of banking experience spanning Banking Operations, Financial Control, Customer Service and Marketing. Sanusi has played various roles across the UBA Group and was the pioneer COO of UBA Ghana and CEO UBA Zambia.

He is currently the Group Head, Internal Control, where he has overall responsibility for ensuring compliance with management policies/procedure, strategic thinking and providing top management support.

Michelle Nwoga is the Group Head Marketing and Customer Experience, responsible for the development and implementation of Marketing and Customer Experience strategies across Private, Business, Corporate and Financial Inclusion sectors for our 20 countries in Africa.

With almost two decades of banking and consulting experience that spans Business Development, Project Management, Brand Marketing & Communication, Customer Experience and Engagement, Michelle is renowned for her wealth of experience in Customer insights, engagement, value management, and organisation development

Prior to joining UBA, She worked in several capacities in the UK as well as Access Bank and Diamond Bank, managing a host of successful projects and initiatives; some of which include Retail banking transformation, deploying the first retail banking sales force amongst others.

Michelle holds a Masters degree in Management, Marketing and Organisation Management; a degree in International Relations, Environmental Science and Business management from leading universities in the UK. She is also a certified Project Manager, Digital Marketer and User Experience Designer.

She is a thought leader, an advocate for women empowerment, and has managed several mentoring programs for mother and the girl child; fully committed to transformation, customer centricity, inclusiveness and engagement.

Franklyn holds a B.Sc degree in Business Administration from Ahmadu Bello University Zaria and MBA from the University of Lagos. He is an Honorary Senior Member of the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria; Member, Association of Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist; and Associate Member, Nigeria Institute of Management (Chartered).

He is an experienced Compliance, Regulatory, and AML/CFT Risks professional of over two decades in the banking profession. Other areas of specialty include Banking Operations, Local and International Bank Branch Startup, Internal Control and Corporate Governance. Prior to his current role, he had worked with Citibank in various capacities including Chief Compliance Officer for Citi Nigeria; Compliance Head for Citi in West Africa and acting Compliance Head for Sub-Saharan Africa. He had a brief stint with Union Bank Plc as Regulatory and Franchise Risk Strategy Consultant leading the AML/CFT Compliance Transformation. He has attended several local and international trainings/seminars in banking operations, AML/CFT; managing and leading people.

Gboyega holds a first class (Honours) degree in Accounting from the Obafemi Awolowo University Ile-Ife and is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) and Honorary Senior Member of the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria. He also holds post-graduate degrees in Economics and Public Administration.

Gboyega has had a distinguished banking career spanning over 25 years in Operations and Control and more recently Audit. Before joining UBA, he had worked at Citibank Nigeria Ltd. and Access Bank Plc where he occupied senior roles.

Emem is currently a Group General Manager. She holds a B.Sc degree in Biochemistry and MBA degree from the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife. She is also an alumnus of the Lagos Business School and Harvard Business School.

Emem is a member of the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN) and has over 20 years of banking experience. She has strong capabilities in Relationship Management, Effective Communication and Business Development with a track record of winning and executing high-powered transactions. She has won several high-performance awards over the years of her career and has strong competencies in Corporate, Commercial and Public Sector Banking. Prior to joining UBA in 2011, she was a Regional Executive in Bank PHB Plc (now Keystone Bank), where she was responsible for developing the commercial businesses in the Bank’s Victoria Island region. Upon joining UBA, Emem was the Regional Bank Head, Akwa Ibom, and Cross River Bank, from where she became the Directorate Head for Abuja Bank, where she was saddled with the strategic responsibility of sustainably growing revenues, customer base and profitability of the region. She is now the Regional Director, Lagos Island 2 Region.

Holds a B.Sc. from the University of Ibadan, Nigeria, and M.Sc. in Finance and Management from Cranfield University, England. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) and a member of the Cranfield Management Association.

He is a seasoned financial analyst and accountant with about two decades experience spanning, assurance, advisory, financial control, strategy and business transformation, investor relations, M&As, business integration and project management. Prior to his current role, he was, at different times, Group Financial Controller, Group Chief Compliance Officer, and Head – Performance Management in UBA.

Before joining UBA in 2004, he had almost one decade experience with Deloitte and PricewaterhouseCoopers.