UBA Graduate Management Acceleration Programme empowers over 700 youths, strengthening Africa’s talent pipeline and leadership growth

United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc has strengthened its youth development agenda with the induction of over 700 young professionals under its Graduate Management Acceleration Programme, a flagship initiative designed to build Africa’s next generation of financial leaders.

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UBA Graduate Leadership Acceleration Programme milestone was marked at a graduation ceremony held at the Landmark Events Centre in Lagos on Thursday, where Cohorts 19 and 20 were formally welcomed into the bank’s workforce following an intensive training and development journey.

Group Chairman, Tony Elumelu, described the programme as a strategic investment in Africa’s future, stressing that the continent’s prosperity is closely tied to the ambition, discipline and performance of its youth.

Elumelu urged the graduates to embrace responsibility and excellence, noting that strong institutions are built through consistent training, values and commitment to long-term vision.

Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Oliver Alawuba, also addressed the new professionals, sharing insights from his personal career journey and encouraging them to view their entry-level positions as stepping stones to leadership.

He anchored his message on UBA’s core values of excellence, enterprise and execution, alongside its cultural framework of simplicity, responsiveness and goal orientation, challenging the graduates to reflect these principles in their daily work.

According to the bank, 720 trainees were inducted in the latest cohorts, with 435 women making up more than 60 percent of participants, a development it described as evidence of its commitment to gender inclusion and women’s empowerment.

UBA said the Graduate Management Acceleration Programme has now empowered more than 5,000 young professionals since inception, equipping them with practical experience, leadership training and industry exposure across Africa’s financial services sector.

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The bank, which operates in 20 African countries as well as in the United Kingdom, United States, France and the United Arab Emirates, said the initiative remains central to its mission of reducing youth unemployment and strengthening financial inclusion across the continent.

Oliver Alawuba, (5th Left) and Group Head, Human Resources, Modupe Akindele, flanked by some of the graduands of the 2026 Graduate Management Accelerated Programme(GMAP) class of UBA Academy, during the graduation ceremony held for over 700 trainees cut across Africa, in Lagos on Thursday.

Executive Director, Personal and Business Banking, United Bank for Africa, Chidi Okpala; Group Executive, Treasury and Financial Institution, Samuel Ocheo; Executive Director, Finance and Risk Management, Ugo Nwaghodoh; Executive Director, Corporate Banking, Tosin Adewuyi; Group Managing Director, UBA, Oliver Alawuba, Executive Director; Deputy Managing Director, Chukwuma Nweke; Company Secretary, Bili Odum and Executive Director, Digital Banking, Emmanuel Lamptey flanked by prize winners of the 2026 Graduate Management Accelerated Programme(GMAP) during the graduation ceremony held for over 700 trainees cut across Africa, in Lagos on Thursday.