United Bank for Africa (UBA) has strengthened its commitment to youth empowerment and leadership development by training and inducting 3,222 banking and finance professionals across Africa through its Graduate Management Acceleration Programme (GMAP).
Now in its third year, GMAP is designed to equip young graduates with the necessary skills, mentorship, and hands-on experience to thrive in leadership roles within the bank. On Wednesday, UBA hosted a ceremony in Lagos to welcome 1,138 successful participants who completed months of rigorous training, assessments, and capacity-building exercises.
UBA Group Chairman, Tony Elumelu, underscored the importance of investing in young professionals, describing them as key drivers of Africa’s economic transformation. He emphasized that beyond training, the initiative aims to bridge the continent’s unemployment gap by creating opportunities for skilled graduates.
“At UBA, we believe that Africa’s transformation is in the hands of young, dynamic, and ambitious professionals such as you. Through GMAP, we are not only shaping future leaders but also reinforcing our commitment to excellence and impact,” Elumelu said.
Encouraging the graduates, he added, “Success is built on hard work, resilience, and a commitment to continuous learning. The world is waiting for you to make your mark.”
UBA’s Group Managing Director/CEO, Oliver Alawuba, expressed pride in the graduates, describing their induction as the beginning of a transformative career journey. He reiterated the bank’s dedication to human capital development, noting that GMAP reflects UBA’s vision of equipping Africa’s brightest minds with the skills and knowledge needed to navigate the evolving financial sector.
Alawuba also highlighted UBA’s commitment to gender inclusion, revealing that 58% of the latest cohort—666 out of 1,138 graduates—are women. “This is a testament to our dedication to fostering an equitable and inclusive workplace where everyone has an opportunity to excel,” he said.
He urged the new employees to embody UBA’s core values of excellence, enterprise, and execution while embracing the bank’s culture of simplicity, responsiveness, and goal orientation.
The ceremony featured inspiring testimonials from GMAP alumni who have advanced within the organization, demonstrating the programme’s impact on career growth and professional development.
UBA remains one of Africa’s largest employers in the financial sector, with a workforce of 25,000 employees and a customer base exceeding 45 million worldwide. The bank operates in 20 African countries, as well as key financial hubs in the United Kingdom, the United States, France, and the United Arab Emirates. Through initiatives like GMAP, UBA continues to position itself as a leader in talent development and a champion of Africa’s economic progress. customers worldwide.
