A Ghanaian national, Abiola Bawuah was the Regional Director of the United Bank for Africa (UBA) in West Africa overseeing 9 countries including Ghana, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cote d’Ivoire, Liberia and Sierra Leone, Mali, Senegal and Guinea. Her appointment is effective since 26 January 2023. She becomes the first female CEO of the UBA Group in Africa, overseeing all the bank’s operations on the African continent. She is also appointed as a member of the Board of Directors of the group. The Group Board now consists of three female Executive Directors and eight female Directors in total, making it a majority-female Board.
Operating in 20 countries in Africa, UBA Africa serves over 19 million customers across the African continent, providing retail, commercial and institutional banking services, leading financial inclusion and implementing cutting edge products including the first ever banking chat bot in Africa, LEO. Outside of Africa, the UBA Group operates in the United Kingdom, the United Arab Emirates, the United States of America and has a representative office in France.
Commenting the appointment, Oliver Alawuba, Group Managing Director of UBA Plc said: “Abiola has significantly contributed to the growth of UBA Africa and brings a wealth of experience in commercial banking, stakeholder engagement, people management and a culture of performance. I have no doubt that she will take UBA Africa to new heights of growth and performance.” He added: “Abiola, being a Ghanaian national, further confirms our commitment to diversity”.
Abiola Bawuah joined United Bank for Africa (Ghana) Limited (UBA) as Deputy Managing Director in 2013, in less than a year she was elevated to MD/CEO, with two firsts: being the first indigenous CEO of a Pan African Bank and the first female CEO to take the helm. She was later promoted to Regional Chief Executive Officer of UBA West Africa 1, and later Regional Chief Executive Officer, West Africa.
Prior to that, she worked in Standard Charted Bank as head of sales, Cal Bank as relationship manager and Strategic African Securities. In 2012, she was made Executive Director at Zenith Bank Ghana, having previously held positions of General Manager, Marketing and Group Head, Retail Banking.
She was later promoted to Regional Chief Executive Officer of UBA West Africa 1, and later to her current position which she holds until now. Prior to that, she worked in Standard Charted Bank, Cal Bank and Strategic African Securities. In 2012, she was made Executive Director at Zenith Bank Ghana; having previously held positions of General Manager, Marketing and Group Head, Retail Banking. She was also responsible for investments at the former Bentsi-Enchi & Letsa, now Bentsi-Enchil Letsa & Ankomah law firm.
Experience in retail banking and marketing
Abiola Bawuah has enormous experience in retail banking and marketing. She holds a BSc in Actuarial Science from the University of Lagos, Nigeria, an LLB with honours from the University of London, a diploma in Marketing from GIMPA and an EMBA (Finance) from the University of Ghana and also has numerous leadership qualifications from Harvard Business School, Columbia, University of New York, INSEAD and Institute Villa Pierrefeu in Switzerland.
Under her leadership at the United Bank for Africa Ghana Ltd., She grew the branch network from 25 branches in 2013 to 28 fully networked branches. Again, under her guidance, the organization planted several ATMs from the already 37 in 2013 to over 60 Visa, Verve and Mastercard enabled ATMs spread across Accra, Tema, Kumasi, Takoradi, Tamale, Tarkwa and Aflao.
Also, still under his leadership, in 2016, UBA Ghana Limited announced its unaudited financial results, showing a remarkable 134% year-on-year growth in pre-tax profits. The Bank also recorded significant positive performance with other big numbers such as 114% growth in gross revenues and 68% growth in customer deposits. This helped the Bank to be awarded the ‘Best Bank – Product and Service Innovation’ and second prize in terms of best financial performance at the 2017 Ghana Banking Awards.
Winner of several prizes and awards
In 2015, as the MD/CEO of UBA Ghana, Abiola Bawuah was adjudged the overall Banking and Finance Female Personality of the Year 2014 at an awards ceremony organized by the National Women in Finance Magazine (NWIF) held at the International Conference Centre in Accra. The awards ceremony also saw her being awarded Female Banker of the year; while UBA’s Innovative Female tailor-made product for discerning Women, RUBY, was adjudged the Product of the year.
At the 2016 Chartered Institute of Marketing Ghana Awards, she was adjudged the “CIMG Marketing Woman of the Year” and subsequently went on to win the “Finance Personality of the Year Award” at the Ghana Accountancy and Finance Awards barely two months after.
Abiola Bawuah is on the Woman Rising inspiring list of Top 50 Women Corporate Leaders in Ghana. Woman Rising is the first network of women entrepreneurs and business owners in Ghana.
She was also elected by the Chief Financial Officers (CFO) as ‘Woman of Excellence in Finance’ in 2016. During the same period, her wise counsel led UBA to initiate the Best Bank in Risk Management award. In 2017, the Government of Ghana, through the Ministry of Trade and Industry and the Millennium Excellence Foundation, awarded her the ultimate Expatriate Managing Director of the Year award.
Abiola Bawuah is also the founder of The Abiola Bawuah Foundation, a locally founded and registered charitable organization with its center of operations at Kokomlemle. The Foundation is devoted to help deprived, vulnerable and disadvantaged girls who lack access to quality education and also aid them in achieving a bright future through educational mentoring.
