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UBA Holds Africa Conversation Symposium, Restates Committed To Helping Africa Become A Continent Of The Future

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UBA Holds Africa Conversation Symposium, Restates Committed To Helping Africa Become A Continent Of The Future

United Bank for Africa, UBA, has held the 5th Edition of the Africa Conversation Symposium in Lagos.

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NewsReport Nigeria reports that speaking at the event, Group Managing Director of United Bank for Africa, Mr. Oliver Alawuba, restated the bank’s commitment to helping Africa become the continent of the future.

Alawuba stated this during the 5th Africa Day Conversation, in celebration of this year’s Africa Day to commemorate African unity, held at the Tony Elumelu Amphitheatre at the UBA House in Marina, Lagos.

This online information learned that the fifth edition of the annual UBA Africa Conversations had in attendance panelists comprising the Executive Director/CEO of UBA Africa, Abiola Bawuah; President, Transnational Corporation (Transcorp) Plc, Owen Omogiafo; renowned fashion designer and founder, Banke Kuku, Banke Kuku-Lawson; business and technology executive and Board Executive Director of Junior Achievement of Nigeria, Foluso Gbadamosi; and award-winning solopreneur and chef, Hilda Baci, who unanimously agreed that innovation is at the crux of growth for Africa.

Group Chairman, UBA Group, Mr. Tony Elumelu, top management staff, business leaders, as well as other key players in the economic, financial, and business landscape in Africa, were in attendance.

In his welcome address, the GMD, Mr. Oliver Alawuba, noted that the conversations were hatched so that ‘the beauty, the talent, the culture, the diversity, and the warmth of Africa are celebrated.

He said, “We take our pan-Africanness seriously because we believe Africa needs to be celebrated.’

The conversation-themed ‘Innovating the Continent for Growth invited the five leading women to share their perspectives on Africa’s growth from their various professional standpoints. They also hailed Mr. Tony Elumelu for championing innovation in Africa.

Abiola Bawuah, who was the first female to become a bank’s CEO in Ghana, recalled: ‘Our chairman is the innovator in Africa. It was strange when he gave me the job. Normally, as a female, once you get to DMD, you have reached the zenith. A lot of banks have followed suit since then in Ghana. What has happened in UBA is a complete innovation of ideas. Today, I am the CEO of UBA Africa’.

The President of Transcorp Plc, Owen Omogiafo, maintained that Africa is a land of opportunities: ‘Where else can you get the kind of returns you get in Africa? We have huge opportunities, deep cultural roots, and hard-working people, and all that is needed is to tap into the vast opportunities that we have on this continent. She added that the Afam Gas plant, which is owned by Transcorp, can power 2 million homes.

On her part, the fashion entrepreneur Banke Kuku believes that fashion is another major way by which Africa can project itself to the world, as she affirmed that ‘the world is looking at Africa, and we can use our fashion to keep telling African stories to the world’.

The award-winning Nigerian chef Hilda Baci says food can be Africa’s next ‘oil’ if we inject the ideas of sustainability, discipline, and reading into the food business and not just take it lightly. ‘As a young entrepreneur, even if you do not have money to take a business course, you can read. If you want to survive in the business world, it is important to arm yourself with information and learn, as this will keep you going, especially in a world that is constantly changing, Baci said.

Folusho Gbadamosi also toed the line on education as the key to sustainable innovation. ‘There is so much available online; do not let technology scare you; things are changing, so we need to arm ourselves with all the information we can garner. Innovation is all about evolution, and so we need to be intentional about positive change. I believe if we all come together and solve the problems, we will go very far indeed.

Visibly elated at the depth of conversations and the turnout of the event, the Chairman of UBA Group, Mr. Tony Elumelu, could not hold up the microphone. Elumelu said he had come to see the new way this year’s Africa Day will be celebrated, as he had been told to keep his hands off of involvement. He showered praise on the panelists and members of the UBA who made the day unique. He also thanked the audience, which joined the event both physically and virtually. He noted that UBA will continue to lead the narrative and discussions on the development, growth, and unity of Africa.

United Bank for Africa is one of the largest employers in the financial sector on the African continent, with 25,000 employees group-wide and serving over 35 million customers globally. Operating in twenty African countries and 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.

 

 

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