UBA Tribe Wall, Time Capsule Unveiled to Celebrate Bank’s 75 Years  

Charles Ajunwa writes that Africa’s global bank last week in Lagos unveiled the UBA Tribe Wall and Time Capsule to celebrate its staff and bank’s trajectory in the last 75 years  

“Oh, see the innocent face of our Chairman.” 

The above exclamation, which was involuntary, came from a female staff of the United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc on sighting portrait of the Chairman of UBA, Mr. Tony Elumelu where he looked so young, at the ground floor of the UBA House located at 57, Marina, Lagos Island, Lagos. 

The woman’s loud voice reverberated through the entire ground floor attracting others’ attention at the imposing state-of-the- art 20-floor office overlooking Apongbon Bridge and Apapa sea port.  

The event was the unveiling of the UBA Tribe Wall and UBA Time Capsule put together as part of activities to celebrate the bank’s 75 years anniversary. As early as 9:30a.m., the staff of the bank and other invited guests were already on the ground floor exchanging pleasantries as they waited for the arrival of the Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Oliver Alawuba, to declare the exhibition open. 

Shortly after arriving in company of some Board Members, Executive Directors and Senior Executives, the GMD/CEO of UBA, Alawuba who dressed smartly in black suit having a UBA logo, white shirts with long red tie and a pair of well-polished black shoes, hit the ground running after the National Anthem was played. 

Alawuba, who moved his body and gesticulated with two hands while addressing the crowd, started by thanking and welcoming everybody to the occasion. “This is a very momentous occasion. Two things we are doing today: The UBA Tribe Wall and The UBA Time Capsule,” he said.

UBA Tribe Wall

“This is one of the programmes for UBA at 75, and this is a very big programme for us. The Tribe Wall is about you, the staff of UBA. We have pictures of all the staff of UBA because we think that at UBA 75, we should celebrate you. There will be no UBA without you. 

“All the staff of UBA, wherever you are today, those on their seats, those that are running from one customer to the other, those that are making fishes, we see you and we know that you count. That is why we have gathered all the pictures to celebrate you. 

“We are proud of you, we are proud of all your contributions and all the sacrifices you are making for the growth of UBA. 

“So the UBA Tribe Wall will be an enduring memory that today (September 19, 2024) you are part of UBA and you will remain part of the UBA,” Alawuba said. 

UBA Time Capsule

“We also have the UBA Time Capsule, which is a way of telling our story from the beginning of the UBA. From just a small location (Kakawa) behind us  in 1949, UBA has grown to become a global financial institution, and we are so proud of what UBA has achieved in the last 75 years.  Adding, “We want to show our history, where we started and where we got to today. 

Appreciation to Founders, Staff, Customers

“It’s also an occasion for us to be very grateful  and show appreciation to all those who have worked from the founders of UBA till day to make UBA what it is. 

“I would like to specially and humbly thank the Group Chairman of UBA, Mr. Tony Elumelu, and all the board members for the vision, the courage for leading UBA to this great institution that we are today. 

“I thank all the Board members, all the Executive Directors, all the Senior Executives of UBA across all the countries, all the Board members in the subsidiaries, they are also making great contributions to UBA. I would like to thank all Managers, all Branch Managers, all staff of UBA wherever you are, you are part of what we are doing today. 

“We also like to thank all the customers of UBA. Indeed, without the customers of UBA there would have been no UBA. So we thank every customer of UBA, you have been banking for the past 50 years and I feel humbled that you have continued to patronize UBA. They are the UBA that we are celebrating today.

“I would like to also thank all those that contributed in one way or the other. Some of them may not be customers, they may be third parties like the vendors. You are also part of the UBA family, I would like to thank you. We appreciate everybody. 

Where UBA is Going in the next 75 years 

Today, we have about $20bn in total assets. In the next 75, UBA will be $20 trillion. Today, we have over 40 million customers. In the next 75 years, UBA will have one billion customers across the world. Today, we are present in about 24 countries. In the next 75 years, UBA will be present and dominant in over 100 countries. Yes, we are dominant in a few countries today, in the next 75 years UBA would be among the top 10 banks in the whole world. 

“Why do I say so? Because I know that the future of the world is in Africa, and the future in Africa is in UBA. So in the next 75 years, UBA will be that bank that will continue to link Africans to the world and the world to Africa. UBA will be that bank that will be controlling payment systems across all the countries in Africa and the world at large. UBA will be dogged in our financial institution. 

“UBA has a future and the future of UBA is great. I pray that you continue to preach and believe that this institution that has been handed over to us, that we will hand it over to the next generation that will keep UBA flying in the next 100 and 200 years to come. 

Driven By Innovation

According to Alawuba, UBA is driven by innovation. “This bank, UBA, is driven by innovation. Our staff are very innovative and our customers will continue to support us because we are innovating products that bring confidence, security to their businesses and to their lifestyle. You are still going to see UBA in the next 75 years.  

“We will continue to focus on the people, on our businesses and on customers. This bank has the primary and singular responsibility to our customers. So the customer will continue to be the bedrock of what we do in UBA.”

On the bank’s plans to preserve the artefacts, Alawuba said, “We have an electronic library where all these artefacts are stored for the future generation. I’m talking about 75 years and for you to do that, you have to electronically store these artefacts. We have that and we want to sustain that in the next 100 years and beyond.”

On most accomplishments of the bank, he said, This bank has been around for 75 years and we have been able to put excellence and stability, we have been able to serve, grow the business, grow customers’ base up to 40 million and we are still growing. We have been able to touch so many lives across 24 countries. UBA is growing, UBA is doing well, UBA is changing lives, UBA is building confidence, connecting Africa to the world, connecting the world to Africa, improving payment systems across businesses, across several continents, four continents, 24 countries. UBA is growing 1,000 branches across the world, over 2,000 ATMs, over 500,000 POS. This bank has the future of Africa in mind, this bank will continue to reposition the continent and reposition the people of Africa.” 

Other Insights 

Mr. Oluwa Muyiwa Akinyemi, Group Deputy Managing Director, said before the merger of Standard Trust Bank with UBA, “The evolution of UBA actually started before the merger. It started 75 years ago. The merger happened in 2005, the third largest bank and the fifth largest bank then came together to form the new UBA. And as you can see, the transformation of our logo right from the colours of blue and yellow to red, we see the vibrancy and focus of the new UBA. 

On what has kept UBA after many acquisitions, Akinyemi said, “I think one of the greatest assets for UBA is the people. The commitment of the people to achieve that X vision that we have for UBA and everyday when we come to work, we look at how we impact on our society, how we impact businesses that we serve across 24 countries. So, people have been the most important assets for UBA. It has kept us, sustained our growth and trajectory over the past 75 years and that also would continue to be the greatest asset for us in the next 75 years. 

“In terms of innovation, we want to be on the edge. A few years back, we launched the first AI chat box in Africa. That is going to be a major platform of our service to our customers and conventionally too we would be going to leverage on AI to serve our customers a lot more. In the next two to five years you will see a transformation of our platforms to the next level.”

Another staff member, Moronike Akinrimisi, said that ladies in the bank have continued to be given equal opportunities with their male counterparts in order for them to attain any heights in their chosen career. We have two Executive Directors that are women. “There is one thing our Chairman and GMD promote, and that is the fact as a woman we give the very best that we have. Everybody is represented well. We give the same things in terms of professionalism.”

Mr. Ramon Nasir, Group Head, Media and External Relations of UBA, in his press review said that the Time Capsule experience is designed to captivate and inspire visitors through several key features.

Namely,  Illuminated History and Milestone Wall – An expansive, backlit wall showcasing UBA’s significant milestones and achievements, highlighting the bank’s growth and impact since its inception, Display Stands Featuring Prototype Products- A collection of UBA’s pioneering products, including the first ATMs, early card designs, and other memorabilia that tell the story of UBA’s innovation and service excellence over the years, Hanging Acrylic Infographic Frames- Elegant frames suspended throughout the exhibit, presenting infographics of past Group Managing Directors and Chairmen, celebrating the leadership that has shaped UBA’s legacy. Screen Display of Past TVCs and Ads – A dedicated screen area looping iconic TV commercials and advertisements, offering a nostalgic look at UBA’s brand journey and the creative campaigns that have defined its public image, Carpeted Flooring and Crafted Lighting- Premium carpeted flooring paired with thoughtfully designed lighting, creating a warm and inviting ambiance that enhances the overall experience, Experience and Engagement- The Time Capsule exhibit is curated to engage all visitors, from long-standing stakeholders to new employees. It provides a unique opportunity to explore UBA’s historical narrative and understand the values and innovations that have sustained its growth and relevance across the African continent and beyond.

The unveiling of the UBA Tribe Wall and UBA Time Capsule, was one event that would continue to ring bell in the minds of all staff of Africa’s global blank which they would forever cherish.