Banking: Alawuba, A Transformative GMD, Takes UBA Group, To Another Level, Emerges Top Five In KPMG, Customer Experience Survey In The African Continent      

 By Lateef Adegbite

Barely one year of mounting the saddle as the Group Managing Director, GMD, of the United Bank of Africa, UBA, plc, a Pan African Bank, Oliver Alawuba, appears to have demonstrated that he is a transformative Lader as has taken the Money Deposit Bank, MDB, to a new height that had been recognized by KPMG, a firm of Chartered Accountants 2024, Customers Experience Survey.

The transformation of the MDB, in in  its customers experience over the last one year may have been noticed  by  KPMG, a  Chartered Accountant  firm, which had conducted a  Customer Experience Survey of the Commercial banks operating in the African Continent   in  the 2024, Fiscal year and had recognized the bank  as one of the best top five in the Continent that had delivered on its mandate in the areas of  promoting Small and Medium Scale Enterprises, SMEs,  Retail Banking  and other segments  of the economic bloc banking industry.

KPMG, officials , who were said to have identified the Pan African Bank and four other banks  operating in the African Continent as having performed exceedingly well in meeting the demands of their Customers were said to have been bestowed with different awards to encourage them to further improve on their services to still remain at the top to compete with other top banks in the North American country of the United States, US, United Kingdom, UK, France and other parts of the world.

There is no gainsaying the fact that UBA plc, is one of the largest employers of labour in financial Institutions in the African Continent for now with over 25,000 employees’ group worldwide providing services to 45 million customers, operating in 24 African countries, including Nigeria.

Note that the foremost bank in the West African region also operates in US, UK, France, United Arab Emirate, UAE, where it currently provides retail, commercial and institutional banking services and thus to maintain its position as the leading financial inclusion in the African Continent and implementing cutting edge technology that had had been emulated by its competitors to remain in business.   

Going by the KPMG, Banking Survey, UBA plc, was said to have emerged the second best in SME banking and third in retail banking, which financial analysts had said marks a significant leap in the bank’s rankings which had highlighted the bank’s present Management Team’s transformation agenda, under the Leadership of Alawuba under its Customer First, Cist, philosophy.

Alawuba, GMD, UBA plc

With the KPMG, ranking of UBA plc, as one of the top five in the Continent, the Pan African Bank, had no one in doubt that it remain and maintains its position as a ’’leading customer -centric institution’’ in the in the African Continent.

The incumbent GMD, of UBA plc, and his management team have every reason to be happy over the improved ranking in the KPMG, 2024, survey compared to the not too impressive position in 2023, where it had come out fourth in Retail Banking, while in SME Banking, it had jumped to the second position in 2024, as against the sixth position in 2023.

Although, the bank, may not have come out the first top three in other banking services across the West African subregion, but it was said to have made notable progress in corporate banking, climbing to fourth position in the 2024, Customer Experience Survey by KPMG, from its distant position of 8th in 2023.

An appreciative, Alawuba, had said that ‘’these milestones underscore the bank’s ability to consistently exceed customer expectations and deliver unmatched services across all business segments in the Continent.

He may have gladdened the heart of staff and Management of the bank, globally when he stated that ‘’the recognition by KPMG, Consultants, is a testament   to the bank’s ability to turn aspirations into achievements and challenges to victories’’.   The GMD, UBA plc, who could not hide his feelings had said that ‘’at the hear of the success in the KPMG, 2024, Customer Experience Survey, is not unconnected’’ to its unwavering commitment   to the Cist Philosophy’’ which analysts had said it is not just a slogan but ‘’the essence of who we are’’.

UBA’s philosophy of Customers First working out in its services globally

He may have shocked many when he asserted that through Cist, the bank had redefined customer satisfaction, delivered value and earned the trust and loyalty of customers as enjoyed by other banks in the same category in other parts of the world.

He was said to have credited the success that had been achieved by the bank in its operations over the last one year in its operations ‘’to the dedication of its employees. He may have alluded to the performance of the staff in the retail branches to corporate offices, from technology teams to front-line desk staff, noting that every effort   contributed to this extra ordinary transformation that had been recognized by KPMG.

He was particular about the bank exceptional team for actually making it to excel in its SME and retail banking services.  Given an insider information he had said that for several years, the bank had placed its customers at the center of its operations, guided by its six pillars of Customer Experience: integrity building trust through honesty, Resolution-promptly addressing customer grievances and concerns, xpections-anticipating and exceeding customer demands

Ths is in addition to ‘’Time and Effort-simplifying processes to save time, Empathy – demonstrating genuine care and understanding as well as personalization -delivering tailored solutions. According to him, these principles   in several ways have shaped   how the MDB, connect with its customers, across diverse markets both within and outside the country, fostering trust and deepening loyalty. 

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