UBA Upgrades Chatbot Features as ‘Leo’ Launches Service on Google Business Chat, Instagram

The United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc has announced the expansion of the services of Leo, its Artificial Intelligence chatbot to Google Business Chat and Instagram.

Leo – UBA’s AI-powered chatbot, which enables customers to make use of their social media accounts to carry out key banking transactions – was first introduced in January, 2018.

According to a statement yesterday, it has since evolved to become a custom-fitted, personalised virtual banker to several UBA customers across its 20 African countries. :Before now, UBA’s Leo was servicing customers on Facebook Messenger, Whatsapp and Apple Chat,” it added.

The bank also announced an interesting upgrade to the existing features of Leo, where customers are now allowed to carry out their activities in a 3D animated format. “Armed with this upgrade and with its recent expansion to Instagram and Google Business, customers will now be able to carry out more transactions from the comfort of their homes and can now perform more activities such as funds transfer, checking balances, buying airtime and data, and getting their bank statements with ease, from any of these social media platforms,” it added.

UBA’s Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Kennedy Uzoka, who spoke about the upgraded features of Leo, explained that the bank was always on the lookout for innovative ways to develop strategies aimed at easing transactions for the bank’s numerous users, while ensuring utmost safety of their transactions.

He said, “At UBA, we have been working with technology giants that have the global capacity to ensure not only seamless but also effortless banking for millions of our customers across Africa.

“We at UBA, have collaborated with the very best to actualise this unbeatable innovation that is capable of revolutionising the way banking is done in Africa.”

He disclosed that Leo’s activities had aptly spread across Africa, changing the face of e-banking in other key African locations including Cameroon, Zambia, Cote D’Ivoire, Senegal, Congo DRC, Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Sierra Leone, Gabon, Chad, Congo Brazzaville, Benin, Mozambique, Zambia, Guinea, Burkina Faso, Mali.

Uzoka emphasised that the uniqueness of Leo lies in the convenience.

“Customers can initiate transactions without leaving their favoured phone applications.

“By bringing Leo to the comfort zone of its customers, UBA’s chat banking became a pioneer innovation and has since enjoyed leadership status in the chat banking space,” he explained.