UBA Trains More Than 700 Recent Graduates Through Its Flagship Development Initiative

United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc has reaffirmed its dedication to combating youth unemployment across the continent, having successfully employed over 700 young professionals through its Graduate Management Acceleration Programme (GMAP).

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Since its inception, UBA's GMAP initiative has empowered more than 5,000 young graduates across Africa, providing them with world-class training, hands-on experience, and a platform to thrive in the financial services industry.

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Tony Elumelu, UBA's Group Chairman, welcomed and addressed the new intake in Lagos, emphasizing the importance of ambition, discipline, and institutional pride, and describing the gathering as a testament to the fact that Africa's future belongs to its youth.

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Elumelu expressed his delight at seeing the fresh faces, stating "I am so happy to see smiling, young faces. You know, they say the future of Africa belongs to our youth, and as I see all of you, I see that in action.

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He congratulated the new hires on being part of the UBA family, saying "Welcome to UBA Group. Congratulations on being part of our family," and challenged them to take personal ownership of their performance and exhibit the discipline that distinguishes great institutions from average ones.

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Elumelu noted that selecting, training, developing, and nurturing the right people is crucial for sustained success, and emphasized the need to institutionalize the approach to build an organization that can deliver and create systems that endure.

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He stated "Selecting the right people, training them, developing them, nurturing them, and getting them to align with the vision is not easy. But it is critical for sustained success.

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Elumelu added "What we must do is institutionalise our approach, to build an organisation that can deliver and create systems that endure, so that perpetuity is achieved," highlighting the importance of a structured approach to achieving long-term success.

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The induction of Cohorts 19 and 20 into UBA's dynamic workforce marks a significant milestone, underscoring the bank's strategic focus on nurturing Africa's next generation of high-performing talent equipped to drive innovation and sustainable growth.

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Group Managing Director/CEO, Oliver Alawuba, shared his personal journey from a young professional to Group CEO, reminding the graduates that the path from entry-level to leadership is not reserved for a privileged few.

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Alawuba told the youth "Our young Africans are equipped to drive Africa into excellence. Your current role is not your final destination.

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He emphasized that success is within reach for those who are willing to work for it, saying "If we could rise, you can rise too, because the journey is not reserved for a special class of people. It is reserved for people who decide to grow and then do the work,"

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Alawuba anchored his address in UBA's corporate ethos, the 3Es of Excellence, Enterprise, and Execution, and the SRG persona of Simplicity, Responsiveness, and Goal-orientation, challenging each new hire to make these values visible in their daily conduct.

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The new cohort of 720 trainees, consisting of 435 women who account for over 60% of the intake, serves as a powerful testament to UBA's unwavering commitment towards women's empowerment.