Business
UBA Promises to Put Customers’ Needs First as it Holds 2019 Forum in Lagos
UBA Promises to Put Customers’ Needs First as it Holds 2019 Forum in Lagos
The pan African Financial Services Institution, United Bank for Africa(UBA) has again reiterated its commitment to surpass the expectations of its customers through the provision of products and services that meet their needs. The Bank made this promise at a special Customer Forum to mark the 2019 edition of the Customer’s Service Week.
UBA Customer Service 1: l-r: Group Head, Online Banking, United Bank for Africa(UBA) Plc, Mr. Austin Abolusoro; Regional Head, Lagos Bank, UBA Plc, Mrs Pamela Shodipo; Customer, High Chief Goddy Ulasi; Technical Adviser, Consumer & Retail Banking, Mr Babatunde Ajayi; Group Executive, Transformation and Resources, UBA Plc, Mr Chiugo Ndubuisi; Group Executive, Customer Fulfilment Centre, UBA Plc, and Group Head, Marketing, Mrs Dupe Olusola, at the special UBA Customer Forum held to commemorate The CUSTOMER Service Week in Lagos on Wednesday
The forum which was held at the bank’s Head Office, in Lagos, was very interactive and presented an opportunity for the management, staff and customers to share ideas on how to improve customer-satisfaction, in line with the bank’s Customer First Philosophy.
UBA’s Group Executive, Customer Fulfilment Centre, Mr Anant Rao, who welcomed customers to the forum, explained that the bank has deliberately re-focused and re-engineered its activities to put the customers first, adding that it has been leveraging on a three-prong lever of People, Process and Technology, in a bid to ensure maximum satisfaction to the customers, without whom the bank will not exist.
He said, “The singular mission of our consistent and superior customer experience has been imbibed into the DNA of each and every staff of the bank. In this way, there is no gainsaying that Service has been institutionalized at UBA. The mantra of our Customers being our employers has been ingrained into the psyche of each and every staff.”
UBA Customer Service 2: l-r: UBA Customers, Mr Adegbola Abiodun and Mrs Adebanke Adegbola; Regional Head, Lagos Bank, UBA Plc, Mrs Pamela Shodipo; UBA Customer, Mrs Adepele Amure; Group Executive, Transformation and Resources, UBA Plc, Mr Chiugo Ndubuisi; UBA Customer, High Chief Goddy Ulasi; Group Head, Marketing, Mrs Dupe Olusola; Regional Head, Lagos Bank, Ms Emem Usoro; at the special UBA Customer Forum held to commemorate 2019 Customer Service Week in Lagos on Wednesday
Also speaking, the Group Head, Marketing, Mrs Dupe Olusola, said the bank has tailored a lot of products to assist customers to thrive in their various fields, adding that there was a lot of focus on small and medium scale enterprises which are growth drivers of any growing economy.
She said, “At UBA, we are constantly thinking about you, creating personalized products you need to achieve your goals. Right from the kids, children, young adults, students to the mass retail market; SMEs; creative industry; agricultural; UBA has something for everyone, and we are here at your service all the time.”
Some of the customers who were at the event, commended the bank for the services it rendered to them, and also pointed out areas of improvement and expectation, adding that this will lead to beneficial interests to both parties.
UBA Customer Service 4 : l-r: Group Head, Online Banking, United Bank for Africa(UBA) Plc, Mr. Austin Abolusoro; Regional Head, Lagos Bank, UBA Plc, Mrs Pamela Shodipo; Technical Adviser, Consumer & Retail Banking, Mr Babatunde Ajayi; Group Executive, Transformation and Resources, UBA Plc, Mr Chiugo Ndubuisi; Customer, High Chief Goddy Ulasi; Group Executive, Customer Fulfilment Centre, UBA Plc, Mr Anant Rao; Group Head, Marketing, Mrs Dupe Olusola; Customer, Mr Adegbola Abiodun; and Group Head, Transaction & Electronic Banking, UBA Plc, Aneke Sampson, during the UBA Customer Forum held to commemorate 2019 Customer Service Week in Lagos on Wednesday
A customer of the bank, High Chief Goddy Ulasi, who has banked with UBA for over 15 years, commended the bank for helping him and his business grow over the years and called on the bank to make rates more competitive to ensure that customers and businesses also benefit even more from the bank.
In response, the Group Head, Transaction and Electronic Banking, Mr. Sampson Aneke, said the customers remain the key focus of the bank, adding that the bank is in discussions with the key agents to ensure ease of transactions.
Earlier, UBA’s Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Kennedy Uzoka, who wrote a statement on the significance of continuous excellent service delivery to customers, appreciated the staff who have worked tirelessly to satisfy customers, and urged them not to rest on their oars.
“Let’s strive to put the magical touch in everything we do to create a symbolic service experience for our ‘Employer’ – the Customer!”, Uzoka said.
The theme for this year’s celebrations, “Magic Happens Here”, embodies all that the bank represents as encompassed in its Core Values – the 3EEEs: Excellence, Enterprise and Execution.
The United Bank for Africa, Africa’s global bank, was founded 70 years ago in Nigeria and today, operates in 20 African countries and in the United Kingdom, the USA and with presence in France. UBA serves over 17 million customers across the globe with more than 1000 branches and touch points. In 2018, the bank received the award of Africa’s Best Digital Bank by the Banker’s magazine
Tony Elumelu Entrepreneurs have collectively created 1.5 million jobs and generated $4.2 billion in revenue — Over 2 million Africans lifted out of poverty.
The Tony Elumelu Foundation (TEF), Africa’s leading philanthropy empowering entrepreneurs is set to announce the 11th cohort of the TEF Entrepreneurship Programme on Saturday, March 22, 2025.
The 2025 announcement comes at a critical time, as Africa’s entrepreneurship ecosystem faces funding constraints and global economic headwinds. TEF continues to provide much-needed support, empowering African entrepreneurs to transform their ideas into sustainable businesses and engines of economic growth.
Each selected Tony Elumelu Entrepreneur will receive $5,000 non-refundable seed capital, a world-class business training on TEFConnect, one-on-one mentorship, and access to global networks and investment opportunities. The selection process is being conducted by Ernst & Young, to ensure independent assessment.
The impact of the Tony Elumelu Foundation extends beyond funding. It is changing lives and shaping Africa’s future, as witnessed by beneficiaries of the catalytic TEF Entrepreneurship Programme.
Ahead of the upcoming announcement, Tony O. Elumelu, C.F.R., Founder of TEF and Group Chairman of Heirs Holdings, reiterates his unwavering belief in the potential of Africa’s entrepreneurs:
“I believe that Africa’s transformation will not be led by aid, but by empowering the next generation of African entrepreneurs—giving them the tools, the funding, the training, and the networks to build sustainable businesses that create jobs and drive economic growth.
Over the past decade, we have nurtured entrepreneurs from inception to success, scaling our impact across all 54 African countries. We have provided capital and also developed a robust monitoring and evaluation framework that allows us to track the progress of our entrepreneurs and measure their contributions to their communities and economies.
No other organisation is implementing entrepreneurship development at this scale across Africa. We have learned, we have refined, and we continue to improve, ensuring that African entrepreneurs—women and men—are at the forefront of solving our continent’s challenges and creating wealth for themselves and their communities. Entrepreneurship is the key to Africa’s prosperity. I wish the 2025 cohort of Tony Elumelu Entrepreneurs success, as they chase their ambitions, and play their part in Africa’s transformation.”
The Tony Elumelu Foundation is the leading philanthropy empowering a new generation of African entrepreneurs, driving poverty eradication, catalysing job creation across all 54 African countries and ensuring inclusive economic empowerment.
Since the launch of the Tony Elumelu Foundation Entrepreneurship Programme in 2015, TEF has lifted over 2 million Africans out of poverty, provided 2.5 million young Africans with access to training on TEFConnect, and disbursed more than $100millon in direct funding to thousands of African entrepreneurs who have gone on to create over 1.5 million direct and indirect jobs and generate over $4.2 billion in revenue.
For more details on the Tony Elumelu Foundation’s impact visit our Impact Page, African Success Stories Page, and Annual Report Page.
For Media Inquiries: media@tonyelumelufoundation.org
Tony Elumelu Entrepreneur Testimonials from Previous Years:
“I started my agribusiness with nothing but an idea. TEF changed everything. With the funding, training, and mentorship, I have now expanded across three countries and employ 25 people.”
– Fatima Diallo, Senegal, Agritech Entrepreneur
“As a woman in the fintech industry, it was difficult to secure funding. TEF not only provided me with capital but also the confidence and skills to build a business that is now attracting international investors.”
– Mary Okeke, Nigeria, Fintech Founder
“The TEF Entrepreneurship Programme helped me commercialise my clean energy innovation. Today, we provide solar solutions to over 50,000 homes in rural Tanzania.”
– Juma Nyerere, Tanzania, Renewable Energy Entrepreneur
For more details on the Tony Elumelu Foundation’s impact visit our Impact Page, African Success Stories Page, and Annual Report Page.
For Media Inquiries: media@tonyelumelufoundation.org
Business
Federal Government Moves to Slash Sky-High Airfares as Minister Keyamo Exposes Airline Tactics
Federal Government Moves to Slash Sky-High Airfares as Minister Keyamo Exposes Airline Tactics
The Federal Government, through the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has vowed to tackle the exorbitant cost of air tickets for both domestic and international flights, revealing major efforts to cut costs, enhance airport safety, and address airline pricing manipulations.
Speaking at the Ministerial Press Briefing in Abuja on Thursday, Keyamo exposed a series of economic and policy-based factors that have led to the skyrocketing price of flight tickets, making air travel increasingly unaffordable for Nigerians.
Why Are Airfares So Expensive? The Inside Story
Keyamo broke down the root causes of excessive ticket pricing, which include:
Limited access to affordable aircraft leasing, forcing Nigerian airlines to either lease aircraft at exorbitant rates or buy aircraft outright—a cost that ultimately burdens passengers. Foreign airlines deliberately inflating ticket prices for Nigerian travelers due to fears of trapped funds and currency depreciation. Heavy government-imposed airport taxes, which are among the highest in Africa, further pushing up fares.
Foreign Airlines Caught in the Act? Keyamo Exposes Pricing Tricks
In a shocking revelation, Keyamo unveiled how foreign airlines had been exploiting Nigerian travelers by restricting them to only the highest-priced tickets.
“We called international airlines and asked what they used to do. They said if you want to buy international tickets, you will see business class Z, grade J, different grades, but it’s all the same. One can be N2 million cheaper than the other. Those ones, they opened for countries where they could get their money immediately. But they now opened only the high fare for Nigerian passengers,” he disclosed.
He explained that because foreign airlines feared currency depreciation, they set high fares in anticipation of inflation affecting their trapped funds.
“They said because they were taking into account inflationary rates of the money that will be trapped, they didn’t know when they would get it back. So instead of selling a ticket for N2 million or N3 million, they sold it for N7 million. Meanwhile, Ghana had lower ticket prices,” he added.
Government’s Response: No More Exploitation!
The government, according to Keyamo, is actively engaging foreign airlines to adjust their pricing in line with the recently cleared backlog of trapped funds.
“President Bola Tinubu, being very smart on this, cleared that first. But even after clearing the backlog, they were still enjoying the high fares. So we told them, ‘No, you cannot continue to do this. The excuse is gone. Nigerian passengers must now get fair pricing like other countries.’”
The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) is leading discussions with these airlines to force a price adjustment, ensuring that Nigerians no longer face inflated airfares.
Airport Taxes: Another Major Culprit
Keyamo acknowledged that Nigeria’s airport taxes are among the highest in Africa, further worsening ticket prices. However, he emphasized that reducing these taxes is not solely within his power, as it requires collaboration with the Ministry of Finance.
“The Nigerian Airspace Management Authority and the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria are reviewing these charges, but I cannot singlehandedly reduce them. It involves the Minister of Finance,” he clarified.
He stressed that airlines pass these high taxes directly to passengers, further inflating ticket costs.
What Lies Ahead? Promises of Cheaper Flights Soon
Keyamo assured Nigerians that with ongoing government interventions—including negotiations with foreign airlines, new aircraft leasing agreements, and possible tax reductions—airfares will soon become more affordable.
“We are addressing these issues. The results will soon be visible with the Cape Town Convention and the Dublin Conference. The deals are coming in, and we will see the results soon,” he promised.
Final Verdict: Relief in Sight or Another Empty Promise?
While the Federal Government’s efforts signal hope for Nigerian travelers, many remain skeptical about whether these promises will translate into real, affordable ticket prices. Will Keyamo’s intervention finally ground the exploitative pricing system, or will passengers continue to pay the price for policy failures? Nigerians are watching closely.
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