Speaking at the launch of the bank’s operations in London in the United Kingdom, Elumelu said that the second phase of the growth campaign would cover at least eight African countries and make banking activities seamless for millions of UBA customers across Africa.
“We have started the second phase of our growth campaign that will take us to at least eight African countries,” Nigeria’s Channels Television quoted Elumelu as saying.
“Just in February alone, this is the second bank operation we are opening. We were in Mali on February 4, to commission UBA Mali, and on February 28, we have commissioned UBA London.
“We have aspirations, and our intent is to follow our 17 million customers of UBA across Africa,” he said.
In his remarks at the event, the Group Managing Director, UBA Group, Mr. Kennedy Uzoka, disclosed that with the widespread operations which have extended to the UK, customers no longer have to worry about third-party banks for transactions, following the recently acquired operational licence.
He explained that before UBA got to the UK, and with the kind of license it had before, it meant that if a business in any of the anglophone countries is transacting with a partner in England, they must deal with another bank.
“But today, with our wholesale licence, that is a thing of the past,” he said.
The report quoted the Chief Executive Officer, UBA UK Limited, Mr. Patrick Gutman, as saying that the bank was committed to strengthening its relationship with its customers in London.
He was hopeful that the strength of the bank would earn a natural synergy with its customers in London and help in achieving its target to tap into the $1 trillion trade and investments across Africa.