In line with its commitment to promote the African culture and
deepen its African
footprints, Pan African financial institution, United
Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc, on Thursday joined the
world to celebrate the 2017 Africa Day
across the 19 African countries of operations
with the theme: ‘Africa, the new Frontier.’
Africa
Day is dedicated to celebrating the diversity
of the African continent, as well as to highlight the cultural and economic
potential that exists on the continent. UBA Staff celebrated the day in grand
style as they dressed to work in a display of
the best of Africa’s rich attire.
At the bank’s head office in UBA House on Marina, Lagos, Nigeria,
there was an unusual welcome for staff, as
they were ushered into the building with a rendition of traditional
African music and unique African themed
decorations adorning the building, thus presenting
special ambience to the celebration for a bank that takes huge pride in its
African heritage. There was also excitement in the
air, as a lot of things to celebrate the African heritage was also on display
and staff were treated to various African meals and snacks throughout the day
in their offices.
The
highlight of the day was the crowning of the best dressed male and female in African attires, who
emerged from votes cast by staff. Two staff emerged winners and were
rewarded with an all-expense paid trip to Seychelles.
The three winners selected from both the male and female
categories were given cash prices amounting to about N350,000, while the best
dressed female, Mrs. Ebeano and Mr. Abdullahi were rewarded with an all-expense paid trip to Seychelles.
The Deputy Managing Director, UBA Plc, Mr. Victor Osadolor, who
spoke at the ceremony to announce the winners, reiterated that UBA is a core
African bank with deep African roots that has continually supported the
continent in various ways over the years. He added that the bank remained proud
of its African heritage.
He said, “We
at UBA celebrate Africa Day with the rest of Africa,
we are Africa, United by one Bank, and it is
important to note that just as Africa has come a long way, UBA has also come a
long way in putting her footprints in Africa. As of now, we have over 125
branches in Africa selling Africa to the world. We are one of the biggest
employees in the continent, and we have been supporting a lot of credit
facilities and infrastructural development i Ghana, Zambia, Cote d’Ivoire and
other key economies; we are also sponsoring the building of the stadium in
Cameroon to be used for the African Nations cup, the building of a plaza in
Ghana, as well as other key investments because we believe in this continent and
know that infrastructure is key to the success of any continent.”
It will be recalled that the African Diplomatic Group, an
association of African group of Ambassadors and High Commissioners
to the Federal Republic of Nigeria recently commended UBA for the
sponsorship of the upcoming 54th Africa Day Celebration. In a letter
addressed to the Group Managing Director/CEO, Mr. Kennedy Uzoka and dated
23rd January 2017, appreciating the bank’s support, the High Commissioner
of Rwanda, Ambassador Stanislas Kamanzi praised UBA for sponsoring the
celebration of the 54th African Day.
Africa Day, formerly Africa Freedom Day and African Liberation
Day, is the annual commemoration of the foundation of the Organisation of
African Unity (OAU) usually celebrated every May 25th and UBA celebrates Africa Day annually
in line with the official celebration by African nations, reiterating its
long-held belief that the future belongs to African continent leveraging on the
occasion to rekindle the African spirit that drives the group’s vision to be a
dominant financial services provider on the continent financing the continent’s
emergence as a recognizable economic power.
United
Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc is a leading Pan-African financial institution,
offering banking services and customer touch points in 19 African countries.
With presence in New York, London and Paris, UBA is connecting people and
businesses across Africa through retail, commercial and corporate banking,
innovative cross border payments and remittances, trade finance and ancillary
banking services.
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