UBA lights up Lagos Marina to usher in Yuletide season

The United Bank for Africa (UBA) has officially kicked off the festive season by lighting up Lagos Marina in a spectacular display, marking the beginning of the Yuletide celebrations.

The tree lighting ceremony revealed UBA’s commitment to spreading joy, love, and light to its customers, employees, and the communities it serves.

Speaking at the event, Oliver Alawuba, UBA’s group managing director/CEO, described the lighting as a cherished tradition within the organisation. “It is a family tradition for us in UBA to light up Marina. Christmas is a period of light—to provide light to the world, and that is what Christmas is all about,” he said. “UBA is joining in to light up Marina, light up everywhere, and provide light to our staff, customers, and everyone.”

Alawuba said that the season is not only about festive decorations but also about sharing love and appreciation. “UBA today is sharing love with all customers and all staff. We believe that Christmas is a season for us to show love and share love with our neighbors, our customers, and our staff,” he said.

The event also marked the beginning of a season-long gesture of gratitude toward UBA’s customers. Alawuba noted that the bank would distribute gifts and letters of appreciation to customers, thanking them for their unwavering support. “What we are doing today is to show customers how much we appreciate them. This is just the commencement of a process,” he explained.

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Reflecting on the challenges of the past year, Alawuba expressed optimism for the future. “We know 2024 has been a bit difficult for some customers, but we are hopeful that 2025 will be a lot better. This is why we are ending the year in a good way, sharing love, and telling everyone to prepare for a brighter year ahead.”

The event also featured remarks from Sola Yomi-Ajayi, UBA’s Group executive director for treasury and international banking/CEO of UBA America. She noted the global nature of UBA’s celebrations, which spanned across its operations in America, Nigeria, Ghana, and other locations. “This season is a time to reflect on the spirit of giving. We are celebrating the birth of Jesus as a season of Christmas. We are also celebrating our valued customers, our dedicated employees, and the communities where we operate,” Yomi-Ajayi said.

She stressed UBA’s gratitude to its customers, attributing the bank’s 75 years of success to their trust and loyalty. “Thank you for believing in us, choosing UBA as your trusted bank, and allowing us to be part of your journey. Your confidence in UBA is not misplaced, and we assure you of our continued commitment to delivering exceptional services and products,” she added.

Looking ahead, Yomi-Ajayi said the bank is preparing for a new chapter that will involve business diversification and market expansion. “Next year marks a new milestone for UBA as we begin our journey toward the next 25 years. Customers can look forward to exciting announcements and enhanced product offerings tailored to their evolving needs.”

Hope Moses-Ashike

Hope Moses-Ashike is an Associate Editor, Banking and Finance, with more than a decade of experience reporting on Nigeria’s financial system and broader economy. She closely tracks market movements, monetary policy decisions, company disclosures, regulatory actions, economic indicators, and global developments, and interprets what they mean for businesses, investors, policymakers, and households. Her reporting helps readers understand complex issues such as inflation trends, foreign exchange market dynamics, interest rate decisions, bank performance, and investment risks. She also covers major international events and periodically travels to Washington, D.C., to report on the World Bank/IMF Spring and Annual Meetings. Her dedication to financial journalism has earned her multiple recognitions and invitations to high-level professional development programmes. She is an alumna of the International Visitors Leadership Programme (IVLP) in the United States and holds an Advanced Financial Journalism Certificate from the Press Association Training in London, UK. Her other notable achievements include completing the Lagos Business School CMC Programme, the Bloomberg Media Africa Initiative Programme, and a Master Class in Journalism at Rhodes University in South Africa.