Testing
Abdoul Aziz Dia Joins the Group Board of Directors of UBA
Group Chairman, United Bank for Africa(UBA) Plc, Mr. Tony O. Elumelu(CON) and the new Non-Executive Director, UBA Plc Mr. Abdoul-Aziz Dia
The United Bank for Africa(UBA) has announced that Mr. Abdoul-Aziz Dia will join the bank’s Board of Directors subject to the approval of the Central Bank of Nigeria.
Mr. Dia, a Senegalese citizen, has over 25 years of banking experience garnered from several countries across the globe, including the United Kingdom, France, Nigeria, Ghana, Togo, Senegal, Kenya and Cote D’Ivoire. He has worked in senior management positions at international financial institutions such as the African Development Bank, Citigroup, Standard Chartered, Ecobank and UBA.
Mr Dia has served in the capacity of Executive Director on various company Boards in Africa and in Europe and now joins the UBA Group as a non-Executive Director of the Board. He holds a Master’s Degree in Statistics and Financial Mathematics from ENSAE in Paris, France. He is fluent in 6 languages(French, English, Romanian, German, Wolof and Fulani).
‘Abdoul-Aziz Dia is a seasoned banker with a wealth of experience. He joins the UBA Board with a global outlook and I am confident that he has a vital role to play in the future of UBA and will add enormous value to the Group’s growth strategy’ said the UBA Group Chairman, Mr Tony Elumelu.
Dia joins the Board almost a year after UBA appointed four new members to strengthen and further diversify its Group Board including two female board members, Erelu Angela Adebayo and Angela Aneke. The other two Directors are Kayode Fasola and AbdulKadir J. Bello.
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.
UBA in partnership with Mastercard Reward Customers with All-Expense Paid Trip to UEFA Champions League Semi’s & Finals
Leading Pan-African Bank, United Bank for Africa (UBA) PLC in partnership with leading global payments and technology company, Mastercard, have announced they are giving away all-expenses paid trips to the Semi-Finals and Finals of the 2019 UEFA Champions League to 12 lucky UBA Mastercard holders and their plus ones.
Open to all existing and new UBA Platinum Mastercard holders, this amazing giveaway is an opportunity to pamper customers and give them a unique, unforgettable and priceless experience including flights, visas, 5-star accommodation, tickets to watch either the semi-finals or final matches of the UEFA Champions League and so much more with their MasterCard Platinum Access.
A total of
12 UBA Platinum Mastercard holders from Nigeria and 11 other African
countries will share the enthralling experience of watching the finals live
with a loved one as well as enjoy the great ambience of host city of the
Semi-Finals or Finals (Madrid). The participating countries are Benin,
Cameroon, Chad, Congo Brazzaville, Gabon, Ghana, Liberia, Sierra Leone,
Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia.
“As we celebrate our 70 years of Banking and
excellence, this is our way of rewarding customers for their continued patronage to the
UBA brand. There will be many more this year as we want to continue to
appreciate all our customers … for now. Customers who qualify should get a
UBA Platinum Mastercard and spend a minimum of $10,000 or its equivalent in his
or her local currency to stand a chance to win the all-expense paid package. To
get your UBA Platinum Mastercard at any UBA Branch, a customer simply needs to
contact his or her relationship manager at any UBA branch office” the Group
Head, Marketing, UBA Plc, Mrs. Dupe Olusola said.
She said, “The UEFA Champions League is the most
sought-after trophy in club football competition, and one of the most followed
sporting spectacles in the world. To this end, we decided to partner Mastercard
and UEFA in bringing the most iconic and cherished moments in the history of
football to our esteemed and loyal customers who are the reason why we
are so successful.
“We realize that, a lot of our customers love football
and we feel giving them this treasured experience while they are pampered in
far-away Spain is the way to go. These are the moments that make football such
a passionate sport and we want to share these moments and experiences with our
loyal customers across Nigeria and Africa,” Olusola said.
United Bank for Africa Plc is a leading pan-African
financial services group, operating in 20 African countries, as well as the
United Kingdom, the United States of America and with presence in France.
Tony Elumelu Foundation to Host the Largest Gathering of African Entrepreneurs at 5th Annual Entrepreneurship Forum, July in Abuja
The Tony Elumelu Foundation (TEF), Africa’s foremost champion of entrepreneurship, will host its 5th Annual Forum — the largest annual gathering of African entrepreneurs – on July 26 – 27, 2019. The two-day event will take place at the iconic Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja.
The Forum is the culmination of the annual Tony Elumelu Foundation Entrepreneurship Programme, which this year mentored, trained and seeded over 3,000 young Africans, selected from over [216,000] applicants. The event provides a unique opportunity for young women and men, from all 54 African countries, to meet, learn and network with the broader African and global entrepreneurship ecosystem. It is also a critical opportunity for political leaders and policy makers to meet, face to face, a new generation of African business leaders, who are transforming Africa’s economic trajectory.
Keynote speakers at the highly anticipated Forum include His Excellency Paul Kagame, President of Rwanda, and His Excellency Macky Sall, President of Senegal, who will join Tony O. Elumelu, CON, TEF Founder and Chairman of Heirs Holdings and the United Bank for Africa (UBA) in an intimate open house discussion. The Presidential Convening is a highlight of the Forum, allowing the African entrepreneurs in attendance to closely engage with political leaders, to give first hand testimony of the important role government can play in catalysing growth and encouraging business ambition.
The Forum agenda includes masterclasses and panel discussions with leading speakers and sector experts, from Africa and globally, who will engage attendees in specialised training sessions to share insights, deepen their knowledge and refine their skills. The Forum will also feature a pitching event, where select entrepreneurs will deliver exciting presentations on the goods and services they provide to a distinguished judging panel.
For first time the Forum will be hosted in Abuja, the Federal Capital of Nigeria and will bring together leading policymakers, business leaders, development agencies and the entire entrepreneurship ecosystem including alumni of the Foundation’s Entrepreneurship Programme. Last year, a significant highlight was the launch of TEFConnect, the digital networking platform for African entrepreneurs, which provides a unique digital hub for the African entrepreneurship, facilitating networking, mentorship and most importantly business beyond borders. Previous Forums have been headlined by African leaders, including President of Ghana, HE Nana Akufo-Addo, President of Kenya, HE Uhuru Kenyatta, Former President of Nigeria, HE Olusegun Obasanjo, Former Prime Minister of Benin and TEF Advisory Board Member, HE Lionel Zinsou, Vice President of Nigeria, HE Prof. Yemi Osinbajo.
The Tony Elumelu Foundation’s determination to bring change in scale, across Africa and its relentless focus on entrepreneurship is rooted in the inclusive philosophy of Africapitalism, created by its Founder, which recognizes economically empowering Africa’s youth — the continent’s future wealth creators — and thereby creating sustainable economic and social wealth, as one of the most pressing issues of the 21st century. In 2015, the Foundation committed $100 million to empower 10,000 entrepreneurs from across the continent, over 10 years. Now in the 5th year, the Foundation has funded, mentored and provided business management training to over 7,500 start-ups and small businesses, from all 54 countries in Africa.
“The TEF Entrepreneurship Forum will not just convene the most important stakeholders in the African entrepreneurship ecosystem, it provides an opportunity for everyone to make a commitment to advance entrepreneurship and scale the impact of our entrepreneurs if we are to accelerate the development of the continent,” TEF CEO, Ifeyinwa Ugochukwu said.
She added: “We are constantly inspired by the stories we receive from our entrepreneurs who are creating jobs, employing people and impacting their local communities and ultimately, the continent. We believe that these entrepreneurs are our future. Invest in them now and reap the Africa of our dreams tomorrow. This is what we are committed to.”
For more information on the Forum, please visit www.tonyelumelufoundation.org.
Leak from secret UK gov't meeting on Huawei 'not a crime'
Prime Minister Theresa May sacked Gavin Williamson as defence secretary over laeak of information about Chinese telecoms company Huawe [File: Sergio Perez/Reuters]
British police have declined to investigate the leak of details from a secret government discussion about Chinese telecoms company Huawei, saying the disclosure did not amount to a crime.
In a statement on Saturday, Neil Basu, Britain’s counter-terrorism chief, said he was satisfied the leak, which brought down the defence secretary, did not breach the Official Secrets Act.
“No crime has been committed and this is not a matter for the police,” he said.
Opposition politicians had called for an investigation after Prime Minister Theresa May sacked Gavin Williamson as defence secretary over media reports that Britain had agreed to let Huawei participate in some aspects of Britain’s new 5G wireless communications network.
The decision was reportedly made at an April 23 meeting of the National Security Council (NSC).
The council’s discussions are only attended by senior ministers and security officials who first sign the Official Secrets Act that commits them to keep conversations private or risk prosecution.
Basu, whose section is responsible for investigating alleged breaches of the act, said a probe would be inappropriate.
“I am satisfied that the disclosure did not amount to a criminal offence, either under the Official Secrets Act or misconduct in a public office,” the assistant commissioner said.
“The leak did not cause damage to the public interest at a level at which it would be necessary to engage misconduct in a public office. It would be inappropriate to carry out a police investigation in these circumstances.”
‘Royally screwed’
Williamson has strenuously denied he was the source of the leak, which appeared in The Daily Telegraph newspaper and suggested May had cleared Huawei to be involved in “non-core” elements of the 5G network, such as antennae.
On Saturday, he told the Daily Mail newspaper: “I have been royally screwed over. It is pretty painful. The only thing I want to do now is clear my name.”
The 42-year-old was once a trusted ally of the prime minister.
He was May’s parliamentary campaign manager when she successfully ran to become Conservative Party leader in 2016.
He was duly rewarded with the job of chief whip – tasked with enforcing discipline for the Conservatives in parliament and wielding power over misbehavers.
May appointed International Development Minister Penny Mordaunt to replace Williamson.
The United States is adamantly opposed to Huawei’s involvement in developing Britain’s 5G network due to the firm’s obligation under Chinese law to help its home government gather intelligence or provide other security services when required.
David Lidington, May’s effective deputy, said on Thursday there were no plans to pass information from an internal leak inquiry to the police, saying the prime minister regarded the matter as closed.
UK to allow limited 5G access to Huawei despite concerns |
SOURCE: Al Jazeera and news agencies
Russian, Syrian forces escalate attacks on rebel-held areas
Russian and Syrian forces have stepped up air raids and shelling on rebel-held areas of northwestern Syria, the heaviest assault in the area since it was declared a demilitarised zone last year.
Villages and towns in northern Hama province and southern Idlib that were targeted overnight on Wednesday are part of a “safe zone”, agreed in September between Russia and Turkey, as part of a deal that averted a major offensive on the area.
Schools and residential areas have been hit, Panos Moumtzis, the UN regional humanitarian coordinator, told Al Jazeera.
“There have been a number of casualties that have taken place in many locations: in health facilities, in schools, in residential areas,” he said, adding about 250,000 people had been displaced
Separately, he told Reuters news agency “the barrel bombing is the worst we have seen in 15 months”.
A war monitor and activists said on Thursday that four members of a family, including two children, were killed in an air attack in Kansarfa village, in the Idlib countryside.
Since Tuesday, attacks have forced thousands of civilians to flee to camps further north along the Turkish border and damaged four medical facilities, according to civil defence officials and a US medical aid agency working in the area.
“Medical facilities are being evacuated, leaving the most vulnerable with no access to medical care. We are on the edge of a humanitarian catastrophe,” Khaula Sawah, vice president of the US-based Union of Medical Care and Relief Organizations, said in a statement on Wednesday.
Syrian army helicopters have dropped barrel bombs, which are drums or cylinders packed with explosives and shrapnel that cause indiscriminate destruction, killing at least 15 civilians and injuring dozens, rescuers in Idlib said.
Opposition-run civil defence agencies say hundreds of people, mostly civilians, have been killed by Russian and Syrian attacks since the September deal, which prevented a potentially devastating offensive on Idlib and nearby areas held by fighters and now home to more than three million people.
Syrian state media, quoting army sources, blamed rebels for the assaults and said it targeted “terrorist groups” in towns in northern Hama including Kfr Nabouda.
Seven countries to hold Geneva talks
The military escalation is expected to be a focus of talks in Geneva on Friday between envoys from seven countries, including US Ambassador James Jeffrey and UN Special Envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen.
Idlib is the last major area of Syria still in rebel hands after a string of government offensives backed by Russian air power since 2015 turned the tables in a protracted civil war.
President Bashar al-Assad has regained control over most of the country, with the northeast held by Kurdish groups backed by the United States.
Idlib is held by an array of rebel groups, including the powerful Hay’et Tahrir al-Sham, a coalition of armed groups including those formerly affiliated with al-Qaeda.
Turkey, which has supported the rebels and has troops to monitor the truce, has been negotiating with Moscow to halt the air attacks with little success.
The main Turkish-backed rebel grouping said they were rushing extra fighters to the main fronts to face all “possibilities”.
In response to the escalation, rebels said they mounted several rocket attacks on army positions including the Breideej army base in northern Hama, wounding and killing at least four Russian soldiers in a mortar attack that hit their vehicle.
“We have stepped up our readiness and sent troop reinforcements to confront any attack [by] the regime and the Russians on any area,” said Naji al-Mustafa, spokesman for the National Liberation Front coalition of rebel groups.
“We cannot leave matters like this… We are preparing for any possibility,” he added.
SOURCE: Al Jazeera and news agencies