By Yakubu LAAH InvestAdvocate

Lagos (INVESTADVOCATE)-Pan African bank, United Bank for Africa Plc (UBA), Monday announced the appointment of senior executives to the bank as it launches its project Alpha– the Group’s next stage focus of strategic transformation.

This is contained in a Statement by Charles Aigbe, divisional head, marketing and corporate relations of UBA and made available to InvestAdvocate in Lagos Nigeria.

“UBA has for [8] years executed a dedicated strategy of local, regional and global expansion, whose implementation has seen the Group transform from a national player to an institution of international prominence. Project Alpha is a 3 year route map of key transformation initiatives, designed to consolidate the Group’s strategic positioning and fully capture the opportunities from Africa’s economic renaissance and the Group’s unique platform,” the statement said.

According to the bank, project Alpha is focused on leveraging all aspects of the Group’s footprint, product offerings and operational capability, allowing a commitment to customer service transformation, market share growth, the implementation of key e-banking initiatives across all segments, the growth of corporate and trade finance capabilities and significant investment in the human capital represented by the over 25,000 UBA work force.

UBA affirmed that the series of senior executive appointments made by it underlines the Group’s commitment to project Alpha. 

The appointments made are Apollos Ikpobe appointed Deputy Managing Director, Domestic Bank, Obi Ibekwe, Executive Director Human Resources and Customer Service. 

According to the bank, both appointments have been approved by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

Ikpobe, who was until recently an Executive Director at Zenith Bank, a position he held for seven (7) years, brings over 21 years of experience of the Nigerian banking sector.  He will be responsible for driving UBA’s domestic business in Nigeria. “His appointment complements existing Deputy Managing Director, Kennedy Uzoka, responsible for Resources and Treasury,” UBA said.

On her part, Ibekwe also had a distinguished career with Zenith Bank, where she was responsible for Human Resource Management, Customer Services, as well as Credit Risk Management.  She has a background in consulting, banking and customer service, critical for leading the renewed service excellence culture at UBA. “Her appointment to the board brings to five, the number of female Directors at the Group board of UBA,” the bank affirmed.

Other appointments include Rasheed Adegoke, General Manager in charge of Group Information Technology. Adegoke joined UBA from First Bank of Nigeria (FBN), where he was CIO, a role he has held over 13 years at different institutions in the Nigerian financial services sector. 

He is a technology and process strategist and with hands-on expertise in the design and delivery of high-performance information technology and business process improvement solutions to address complex business problems.

The bank further affirmed that a critical aspect of the project Alpha initiative is the focus on UBA Africa, whose contribution currently at 20% of group performance and is planned to be 50% in by 2016.  To drive this, the Group is reinforcing its senior African leadership.

“Emmanuel Nnorom, Formerly Executive Director, Finance & Risk Management at UBA, has been appointed as the CEO for UBA Africa,” the bank said.

Other senior level appointments in UBA Africa include Amie Sow, Managing Director, UBA Senegal; Demola Ogunfeyimi, Managing Director, UBA Tanzania; Mamadou Sanon, Managing Director, UBA Gabon; Martin Che, Managing Director, UBA Congo Brazzaville; Marcel Bitang, Managing Director, UBA DRC; Stanley Ugwueze, Managing Director, UBA Zambia; Abiola Bawuah, Deputy Managing Director, UBA Ghana; Benedict Nklama, Executive Director, UBA Kenya; Wilbrod Owor, Executive Director, UBA Uganda and Chinedu Obeta, Executive Director, UBA Sierra Leone.

In his reaction, Phillips Oduoza, Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer (GMD/CEO) of the bank said UBA is able to recruit the cream of African banking talent and proud to be able to provide a dynamic platform for these Africans to contribute to its continent’s transformation.

“Our people remain our greatest asset and we will continue to strategically retool and resource to achieve and surpass the goals of Project Alpha”.

More broadly, Project Alpha allows us both to build on the existing strengths of our franchise, but more importantly demonstrates that going forward we continue to reinvent ourselves, ensuring we capture and deliver the maximum of value for clients, shareholders and staff” Oduoza said.