What It Does: UBA provides consumer banking, retail banking, wholesale banking, corporate banking, investment banking, SME banking, mobile banking, internet banking, trade finance, treasury, loans, and so many other financial services to its customers.
Mission: UBA's mission statement is to be a role model to African businesses by creating outstanding value for all its stakeholders, adhering to professional and ethical standards, and building a sustainable organization.
Size and Presence: UBA has a very strong presence in Nigeria. The bank has a workforce of over 14,000 employees across more than 400 branches in the country. Its head office is in Marina, Lagos.
Best Known For: The bank is an award-winning organization and has received several awards. In 2021, The Banker Magazine named UBA the African Bank Of The Year. In 2020, Phillips Consulting awarded UBA for the Best Commercial Bank Website.
The Good Bits: The company offers a rich working experience to its employees. UBA has a good welfare program and a great working culture. The company offers exceptional career prospects to its fresh graduates.
The Not-So-Good-Bits: The work-life balance is not ideal.
During the pre-colonial era, in 1948 precisely, the British and French Bank Limited began banking operations in Nigeria. After the country gained independence from Britain, UBA was incorporated in 1961 to take over the banking business of the British and French Bank Limited. In 1970, UBA listed its shares on the Nigerian Stock Exchange, making it the first bank in Nigeria to launch its IPO. The current UBA we know today is a product of the merger between Standard Trust Bank and UBA itself in 2005. It was the largest merger that occurred on the Nigerian stock exchange.
After the merger, UBA acquired Continental Bank. The following year, it acquired Trade Bank, which was undergoing liquidation from the Central Bank at the time. Between 2007 and 2008, UBA acquired six banks, five of which were liquidated. The bank has massively expanded across Africa and even beyond. UBA is one of the largest banks on the continent, with a network of over 1,000 branches and several thousand ATMs.
UBA has an excellent working culture that is founded on the strength of three core values which are fondly called the 3 Es; Enterprise, Excellence, and Execution. The organization got to where it was today by taking these values very seriously and inculcating them in its day-to-day operations and lifestyle. The company doesn't just train its workers to be the best at what they do but also offers rewards, benefits, and encouragement to its employees to enhance job satisfaction.
UBA is more than a bank; it's a tribe and a family made up of people with a sense of identity and belonging. The company's inclusive environment ensures that no one feels left out and that they're all valued and respected. The bank has an excellent support system that greatly benefits its freshers and interns.
UBA is one of the best banks on the continent because of its highly-skilled workforce. Through the UBA Academy, the organization has been able to sharpen the expertise and skills of its professionals. This program offers a structured learning experience to students, graduates, and even experienced professionals to ensure that there is no competency gap in its workforce. The company also offers a graduate trainee program that grooms young talents into the next generation of future industry leaders with a good acumen for business.
UBA conducts a thorough hiring process that begins with an application review. The next stage is an online test for the chosen applicants. Those who pass the assessment will undergo a written interview and follow it up with an oral interview which will be face-to-face. The candidates who do well in these interviews will be offered the job.
A graduate trainee at UBA earns an average annual pay of ₦720k, while an entry-level employee earns around ₦1.2 million.
UBA employees enjoy health benefits such as HMO, on-the-job training, and sick leave. High-performing employees enjoy performance bonuses, and nursing mothers/new fathers enjoy parental leave.
The bank sponsors the Read Africa Programme and the National Essay Competition through the UBA Foundation to enhance the quest for knowledge and equip educational institutions with relevant resources to meet diverse learning needs.