UBA sweeps top honors at 2026 Euromoney Awards, named Nigeria’s Best ESG, Retail Bank

Africa’s Global Bank, United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc, added two of Nigeria’s top banking honors at the 2026 Euromoney Awards for Excellence, winning Best Bank for Retail and Best Bank for ESG. The awards were presented on July 17 at The Peninsula London, recognizing financial institutions for their financial performance, innovation, customer service, and commitment to sustainable business practices.

The recognition comes as UBA continues to expand its retail business while increasing investment in sustainable finance across its African operations. Euromoney cited the bank’s environmental, social, and governance initiatives, including a Green Financing Facility designed to help households and businesses switch to renewable energy.

The publication also highlighted UBA’s N5 billion ($3.7 million) financing program with the Bank of Industry to support women-owned businesses, as well as its commitment to reach net-zero emissions by 2050.

Euromoney highlights UBA’s operational sustainability drive

Beyond financing, Euromoney pointed to the bank’s efforts to strengthen sustainability within its own operations. Those initiatives include installing solar-powered energy systems at 50 branches and providing ESG training to more than 16,000 employees across the group. 

The publication also recognized the scale of UBA’s retail banking business. By the end of 2025, the bank had grown its customer base to more than 37 million, while retail revenue rose more than fourfold to N429.5 billion ($315 million), reflecting increased customer activity across its network.

Digital banking was another factor behind the awards. Euromoney highlighted enhancements to UBA’s AI-powered chatbot, LEO, which became Africa’s first artificial intelligence banking platform to support cross-border money transfers in local currencies through the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS).

Customer first focus fuels growth

Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Oliver Alawuba said the awards reflect the bank’s focus on growing its business while supporting economic development across the continent.

“To be recognized as Nigeria’s Best Bank for both ESG and retail banking in the same year sends a powerful message that sustainable banking and commercial success go hand in hand,” Alawuba said. “At UBA, we remain committed to financing Africa’s future, supporting businesses and communities, promoting financial inclusion, and providing banking solutions that improve lives. These awards belong to our customers for the trust they place in us and to every member of the UBA family whose dedication continues to make our vision possible.”

UBA’s Group Head of Marketing, Brand and Corporate Communications, Alero Ladipo, said the awards reflect the bank’s long-standing commitment to putting customers first.

“These awards affirm our customer-first philosophy. Every innovation we introduce, every solution we develop and every investment we make is driven by our commitment to creating value for our customers,” Ladipo said. “Whether it is helping entrepreneurs gain access to finance, making digital payments easier, supporting clean energy projects or expanding financial inclusion across Africa, we remain focused on delivering results that matter. We are honored that one of the world’s leading financial publications has recognized those efforts.”

Global expansion drives UBA’s financial growth

The awards come as UBA continues to grow its business across Africa and international markets. The bank operates in 20 African countries, as well as the United Kingdom, the United States, France and the United Arab Emirates, serving more than 45 million customers through its retail, corporate and digital banking platforms.

Its financial results for the first quarter of 2026 reflected that growth. Gross earnings rose to N801.46 billion ($591.1 million) from N764.31 billion ($563.7 million) a year earlier, passing the N800 billion mark for the quarter as stronger interest income and contributions from its African and international businesses lifted revenue.

The balance sheet also remained solid. Customer deposits increased to N24.14 trillion ($17.8 billion) from N23.94 trillion ($17.66 billion) at the end of December 2025. Total assets stood at N33.13 trillion ($24.5 billion), while shareholders’ equity climbed to N4.31 trillion ($3.17 billion) from N4.25 trillion ($3.13 billion), underscoring the bank’s continued expansion alongside the international recognition it received from Euromoney.