Africa’s global bank, United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc, has marked Africa Day with a celebration across its offices in 20 African markets, bringing employees together in a shared observance of cultural and continental pride.

According to UBA, which has spent over seven decades building operations from Lagos to Nairobi, Accra to Abidjan, Dakar to Douala, and Maputo to Kinshasa, Africa Day serves as a moment to reflect on how far the institution has come in terms of impact and the ambition that lies ahead

The day’s wider programme featured cultural showcases, a fashion runway, music and food presentations drawn from the Group’s operating markets, with participation from all 20 countries.

Speaking at the event, the UBA Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Oliver Alawuba, drew a direct line between the Group’s pan-African footprint and the wider economic transformation underway across the continent.

He said: “As a group with presence in 20 African countries, UBA is more than a bank. We are a bridge across markets, cultures, people and opportunities. Every day, through our people, our technology, our capital and our customer relationships, we connect Africa to itself and Africa to the world.”

Alawuba challenged staff to see the group’s diversity of languages, cultures, and geographies as a structural advantage in serving African markets that no external institution can replicate.