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CIBN Appoints UBA CEO, Oliver Alawuba As Chairman

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The Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, United Bank for Africa, (UBA) Plc, Oliver Alawuba has been appointed as the Chairman of the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN), the Body of Banks’ CEOs.

The CIBN announced this appointment on its website on Monday, July 8, 2024.

This prestigious appointment underscores Alawuba’s extensive experience and visionary leadership in the banking sector, as well as his unwavering commitment towards advancing the financial industry in Nigeria and across Africa.

In his role as Chairman, Alawuba will be at the forefront of fostering collaboration and driving strategic initiatives among the top executives of banks in Nigeria.

Like he has achieved as the GMD of Africa’s Global Bank, UBA, his leadership is expected to bring innovative solutions and strengthen the collective efforts of the banking community while addressing the dynamic challenges and opportunities within the financial sector.

The CIBN also announced the appointment of Mrs. Miriam Olusanya, the CEO of GTBank, as the Vice Chairman of the Body of Banks’ CEOs. Her appointment, alongside Alawuba’s, signifies a strong and unified leadership team poised to enhance the banking landscape in Nigeria.

UBA extends its heartfelt congratulations to Alawuba and Olusanya on their appointment and the Bank is confident that their combined expertise and visionary leadership will usher in a new era of progress and innovation for the banking industry in Nigeria, and that under their guidance, the Body of Banks’ CEOs will continue to play a pivotal role in shaping policies and strategies that will drive sustainable economic growth and enhance the overall stability of the financial system in Nigeria.

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Q3 2024: UBA Grows Net Interest Income by 149%, PBT up by 20% to N603bn

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Riding on its recently released half-year financials, Africa’s Global Bank – United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc, has announced its unaudited results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2024, where it recorded strong and impressive growth across all its key indicators.

As in the first two quarters of the current fiscal year, the bank’s gross earnings grew significantly by 83.2 per cent to N2.398 trillion up from N1.308 trillion recorded in September last year, while its net Interest income which stood at N443.0 billion at the end of the third quarter in 2023, rose impressively by 149 per cent to N1.103 trillion in the period under consideration.

The bank’s financial report filed with the Nigerian Exchange Limited on Monday also indicated a 20.2 per cent increase in Profit before Tax (PBT) to close at N603.48 billion compared to N502.09billion recorded at the end of the third quarter of 2023, while profit after tax also rose remarkably by 16.9 per cent from N449.26 billion recorded a year earlier to N525.31 billion in the period under review.

As in the preceding two quarters this year, UBA continues to maintain a very strong balance sheet, with Total Assets rising to N31.801 trillion, representing a 54.0 per cent increase over the N20.653 trillion recorded at the end of December 2023, just as the bank benefitted largely from its technology-led initiatives targeted at improving customer experience over the past few years, with Total Deposits rising to N26.50 trillion, representing a 52.7 per cent rise, up from N17.355 trillion at the end of the last financial year.

UBA shareholders’ funds remained very strong at N3.585 trillion up from N2.030 trillion recorded in December 2023, again reflecting a strong capacity for internal capital generation and growth.

Commenting on the result, UBA’s Group Managing Director/CEO, Mr. Oliver Alawuba, expressed pleasure that the Group continues to record strong and sustainable growth in its various revenue streams, building on its strong performance earlier in the year.

“The UBA Group achieved a profit before tax of N603.5 billion and our intermediation business continues to show strong growth with net interest income expanding by 149 per cent YoY to N1.10trillion and NIM closing at 8.03 per cent, which is 17.60 per cent above the 2023 position, despite persisting macroeconomic headwinds, geopolitical tensions, insecurity, inflationary pressure and exchange rate volatilities across our markets,” Alawuba stated.

According to the GMD, the Bank’s performance has been underpinned by consistent strong growth on all core and sustainable banking income lines, as he added that “Our substantial investments in technology are yielding tangible business value. This commitment is instrumental in delivering enhanced customer experiences and optimizing operational efficiency.”

The Bank’s Executive Director, Finance & Risk, Ugo Nwaghodoh, said, “I am delighted at the milestone reached in driving operational efficiency, reflected in cost-to-income ratio normalizing around the 50 per cent range. Shareholders’ funds recorded a 77 per cent growth from N2 trillion at FYE2023 to N3.59 trillion demonstrating the Group’s significant capacity for future growth.

On plans to consolidate its performance for the rest of the 2024 financial year and beyond, Nwaghodoh said, “We remain on track with various strategies to optimize our cost of funds and operating expenses. Furthermore, the Group has finalized plans to shore up its share capital to support its medium to long term aspirations, whilst aligning with the recent regulatory requirement in Nigeria and other jurisdictions.”

On plans to consolidate its performance for the rest of the 2024 financial year and beyond, Nwaghodoh said, “We remain on track with various strategies to optimize our cost of funds and operating expenses. Furthermore, the Group has finalized plans to shore up its share capital to support its medium to long term aspirations, whilst aligning with the recent regulatory requirement in Nigeria and other jurisdictions.”

He explained that UBA remains committed to sustainable growth in its core banking revenue lines and maintaining its strong compliance and risk management culture, even as the Group identifies further opportunities to expand.

United Bank for Africa Plc is a leading Pan-African financial institution, offering banking services to more than forty-five million customers, across 1,000 business offices and customer touch points in 20 African countries. With presence in New York, London, Paris and Dubai, UBA is connecting people and businesses across Africa through retail, commercial and corporate banking, innovative cross-border payments and remittances, trade finance and ancillary banking services.

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FG Approves Dangote Refinery As Sole Supplier of Aviation Fuel to Airline Operators

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The Federal Government has declared that Dangote Refinery is now authorised to serve as the only provider of jet fuel, or Jet A1, to aircraft companies operating in Nigeria.

The Minister of Aviation, Festus Keyamo, disclosed this on Tuesday when he featured on Channels TV programme.

According to Keyamo, the airline operators consented to let the 650,000 bpd refinery serve as their sole supplier of jet fuel, with his approval and cooperation.

“The airline operators just met recently. With my blessing, it’s a decision from the airline operators in Nigeria that they should only buy from Dangote refinery Jet A1.

“You can see that yesterday we started a naira-for-crude purchase with Dangote. It’s all Naira, no Dollar component,” Keyamo said.

He clarified that the timing is perfect because Dangote and the federal government recently put the naira-for-crude agreement into effect.

He made it clear that this arrangement would lessen the strain on foreign currency.

“The price will no longer be subjected to the varying factors of the international market, nor the headwinds of oil price in the international market. It will be in local currency so we can be clear as to the cost of it. We will buy in naira. I’m sure we are going to have access to cheaper Jet A1 fuel,” Keyamo said.

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It’s Time to Stop Subsidy on Petrol, Dangote Cautions FG

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Aliko Dangote, Founder of Dangote Petroleum Refinery, has said that the right time has come for the Federal Government to stop petrol subsidy.

Dangote spoke during an interview with Bloomberg TV on Monday.

“I think it is the right time to (take away subsidy) because all countries have gotten rid of subsidy,” he said.

He said subsidy is a sensitive issue, adding that once a country subsidises the product, people would increase the price.

Dangote said it would lead to the government “paying what they are not supposed to be paying”.

Dangote added that the petrol sold locally by his refinery will be tracked to ensure the consumption rate is accounted for.

“But this refinery will bring quite a lot of issues out there. It would show the real consumption of Nigeria because nobody can tell. Some people say it is 60 million litres per day, some say it is less,” the billionaire said.

“But right now, by us producing, everything can be counted and accounted for. Most of the trucks or ships that will load from us, we will put a tracker on them to be sure they are going to take the oil within Nigeria and that can help the government to save a lot of money.

“For example, Saudis, the citizens believe that oil is our god-given gift and should not charge us for it. Government was selling it at a very low price. But today, as we speak, gasoline is about 40 percent cheaper in Nigeria than in Saudi Arabia, which I think does not make sense.”

‘FG CAN’T AFFORD SUBSIDY’

Noting that petrol subsidy is not sustainable, Dangote informed that government cannot afford to keep subsidising.

“Our price of gasoline is about 60 percent the price of our neighbouring countrries and we have porous borders, so it is not sustainable. Government cannot afford the amount of subsidies we are paying,” he said.

Speaking further on the viability of petrol subsidy, Dangote said it is the government’s decision to either continue with or halt the payments.

“We have a choice of exporting when we produce and we sell locally. We are a private company and it is true we have to make a profit,” he said.

“We built something worth $20 billion, and definitely we have to make money.

“The removal of subsidy is totally dependent on the government, not on us.

“We cannot change the price but I think the government would have to give up something for something.”

Dangote said eventually, the subsidy would have to go.

Eecall that on May 29, 2023, President Bola Tinubu said the petrol subsidy regime was over as part of his inauguration speech. However, recent events have continued to prove that the subsidy regime is still very much in vogue.

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