The board of United Bank for Africa Plc (UBA), on Monday announced the appointment of Oliver Alawuba as Group Managing Director, with effect from August 1, 2022, subject to approval by the Central Bank of Nigeria.

He replaces Kennedy Uzoka, who was appointed in March 2016.

The board of UBA Plc also appointed Muyiwa Akinyemi Deputy Managing Director. He joined the group in 1998 as a Senior Banking Officer in the Energy Bank, and has since served the Group in Nigeria and our broader Africa network for 24 years, as

The group, in the statement by Bili Odum, its company secretary, also announced the appointment of four new Executive Director: Ms. Sola Yomi-Ajayi, Ugochukwu Nwagodoh, Alex Alozie, and Ms. Emem Usoro.

Ms. Yomi-Ajayi, the former Chief Executive of UBA America, takes charge of Treasury and International Banking, 18 years after joining the group in 2004; while Nwagodoh, becomes ED, Finance and Risk Management. He joined the group from PwC in October 2004, and has held a series of significant roles in the areas of performance management, compliance, financial control and reporting.

Alozie, who joined the group in 2019, and has driven the digital transformation and operational efficiencies, was named ED and Group Chief Operating Officer; with Ms. Usoro, driving the group’s northern Nigerian business as ED, 12 years after joining UBA Plc in 2011, occupying a series of senior regional appointments across the country, covering the retail, corporate and public sectors.

In a statement to the Nigerian Exchange Limited, UBA Plc also announced the retirement of Uche Ike, Chukwuma Nweke, Ibrahim Puri, and Chiugo Ndubisi, as EDs of UBA Group, just like Ambassador Joe C. Keshi, the Vice Chairman of the board, after completing their tenure. Ambassador Keshi is exiting the board after 12 years.

It assured that many of the retiring directors will continue to serve the broader Group upon regulatory approval of a holding company structure.

Before his appointment, Alawuba, who joined the group in 1997, was until now the Group Deputy Managing Director, before which he was in charge of the African operations. He will now oversee the group’s operations across a network of 20 African countries, as well as the United Kingdom, the US, France, and recently the United Arab Emirates.

Commenting on the appointment, UBA Group Chairman, Tony Elumelu, said he was pleased at the new appointment, especially given his “extensive experience in Nigeria and our African network and is well equipped to advance our pan-African and global strategy.”

He expressed confidence “that Oliver will build on the legacy of Kennedy Uzoka, who has exemplified transformational leadership by championing a customer-first philosophy; launching our twentieth operation in Africa, UBA Mali; acquiring a wholesale banking licence for UBA UK in the United Kingdom; and opening our fourth global operation, UBA Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates.”

Also commenting on his appointment, Alawuba expressed commitment to his new role as GMD grateful at the “opportunity to lead this great institution and would like to thank the UBA Group Chairman and the members of the Board of Directors for the confidence they have put in me to deliver the mandate.”

Tony Elumelu, UBA Plc’s Group Chairman congratulated the retiring directors on the completion of their tenures and their exemplary records.