Africa’s Global Bank, United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc, has reinforced its commitment towards tackling youth unemployment across the continent with the successful employment of over 700 young professionals under its Graduate Management Acceleration Programme (GMAP).
Executive Director, Finance, Ugo Nwaghodoh, Group Chairman, United Bank for Africa, Tony Elumelu; Group Managing Director, UBA, Oliver Alawuba, Executive Director; Deputy Managing Director, Chukwuma Nweke and Executive Director, Personal and Business Banking, United Bank for Africa, Chidi Okpala, flanked by graduands of the 2026 Graduate Management Accelerated Programme(GMAP) during the graduation ceremony held for over 700 trainees cut across Africa, in Lagos on Thursday.
Group Chairman, United Bank for Africa, Tony Elumelu (6th left); Group Managing Director, UBA, Oliver Alawuba, (5th Left) and Group Head, Human Resources, Modupe Akindele, flanked by some of the graduands of the 2026 Graduate Management Accelerated Programme(GMAP) class of UBA Academy, during the graduation ceremony held for over 700 trainees cut across Africa, in Lagos on Thursday.
Executive Director, Personal and Business Banking, United Bank for Africa, Chidi Okpala; Group Executive, Treasury and Financial Institution, Samuel Ocheo; Executive Director, Finance and Risk Management, Ugo Nwaghodoh; Executive Director, Corporate Banking, Tosin Adewuyi; Group Managing Director, UBA, Oliver Alawuba, Executive Director; Deputy Managing Director, Chukwuma Nweke; Company Secretary, Bili Odum and Executive Director, Digital Banking, Emmanuel Lamptey flanked by prize winners of the 2026 Graduate Management Accelerated Programme(GMAP) during the graduation ceremony held for over 700 trainees cut across Africa, in Lagos on Thursday.
Since inception, the bank’s GMAP initiative has empowered more than 5,000 young graduates across Africa, providing them with world-class training, hands-on experience, and a platform to thrive in the financial services industry.
The graduation ceremony, which was held in a grand ceremony held at the Landmark Events Centre, Lagos on Thursday, was graced by esteemed guests, led by the UBA’s top management, faculty members, mentors, and the graduating class, as it highlighted the culmination of an intensive journey towards leadership excellence.
While welcoming and addressing the fresh intake, UBA’s Group Chairman, Tony Elumelu, reiterated the importance of ambition, discipline, and institutional pride, describing the gathering as living proof that Africa’s future belongs to its youth.
“I am so happy to see smiling, young faces. You know, they say the future of Africa belongs to our youth, and as I see all of you, I see that in action. Welcome to UBA Group. Congratulations on being part of our family,” he stated.
Elumelu challenged the graduates, to take personal ownership of their performance and to exhibit the discipline that distinguishes great institutions from average ones.
“Selecting the right people, training them, developing them, nurturing them, and getting them to align with the vision is not easy. But it is critical for sustained success. What we must do is institutionalise our approach, to build an organisation that can deliver and create systems that endure, so that perpetuity is achieved,” Elumelu said.
The milestone induction, which welcomed Cohorts 19 and 20 into the bank’s dynamic workforce, underscores the bank’s strategic focus on nurturing Africa’s next generation of high-performing talent equipped to drive innovation and sustainable growth.
Group Managing Director/CEO, Oliver Alawuba, who went down memory lane, took the youth on his personal journey from a young professional to Group CEO, and reminded the graduates that the path from entry-level to leadership is not reserved for a privileged few.
“Our young Africans are equipped to drive Africa into excellence. Your current role is not your final destination. If we could rise, you can rise too, because the journey is not reserved for a special class of people. It is reserved for people who decide to grow and then do the work,” he said
Alawuba anchored his address in UBA’s corporate ethos, the 3Es of Excellence, Enterprise, and Execution, and the SRG persona of Simplicity, Responsiveness, and Goal-orientation, challenging each new hire to make these values visible in their daily conduct
With the new cohort of 720 trainees, 435 of whom are women and account for over 60% of the intake, this stands as a powerful testament to the bank’s unwavering commitment towards women’s empowerment.
UBA continues to position itself as a leading institution in youth development, intentionally grooming “achievers who perform” while contributing meaningfully to reducing unemployment and unlocking the immense potential of Africa’s youthful population.
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 45 million customers globally. Operating in twenty African countries, 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.
