United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc has graduated and inducted 374 young professionals into its workforce, marking the completion of Cohort 21 of its Graduate Management Accelerator Programme (GMAP).
The programme is UBA’s talent development scheme designed to equip young professionals with the technical knowledge, practical skills and experience needed to build careers in the banking sector.
With the latest cohort, UBA said more than 5,000 young professionals have now graduated from the GMAP, gaining mentorship, structured training and hands-on experience to support their career development.
The latest cohort comprises 223 women and 151 men drawn from UBA operations across eight African countries.
Nigeria accounted for 345 graduates, while 29 graduates came from the bank’s subsidiaries in Guinea, Tanzania, Kenya, Mozambique, Uganda, Zambia and Côte d’Ivoire.
Welcoming the graduates, UBA Group Chairman, Tony Elumelu, emphasised the importance of customer service as technology continues to make banking products increasingly similar.
Responding to a question on what would differentiate UBA as technology continues to reshape the banking sector, Elumelu identified service as a key competitive advantage.
“Products can be commoditised, but service never can, because there is always a differentiator in how you serve and how you create,” he said.
He encouraged the graduates to protect their passion and pursue hard work, discipline and excellence throughout their careers.
UBA Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Oliver Alawuba, congratulated the new professionals and described their graduation certificates as a commissioning into the next stage of their careers rather than a conclusion.
He urged them to carry the bank’s standards into their various postings and approach every assignment with commitment and excellence.
“You came from different countries, with different experiences and disciplines, but today you have graduated as one UBA family, united by one ambition, to build Africa’s future,” Alawuba said.
He encouraged the graduates to embrace every opportunity to learn and grow, noting that even assignments that may not initially appear significant can provide opportunities to demonstrate a strong work ethic and professional attitude.
Alawuba also urged them to continuously develop their skills, build trust and convert their potential into measurable performance, while upholding UBA’s values of excellence, enterprise and execution.
The Graduate Management Accelerator Programme serves as UBA’s structured entry pathway for young graduates, combining technical banking knowledge with practical training in areas such as product design, trade finance and customer experience.
The programme forms part of UBA’s broader talent development strategy aimed at preparing a new generation of professionals to take on leadership roles within the bank and contribute to Africa’s economic growth.
The latest cohort further expands UBA’s pool of trained young professionals across its African operations, strengthening its talent pipeline while providing graduates with practical exposure to the financial services industry
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