UBA chief urges investors to turn Africa’s opportunities into projects
UBA Group Managing Director Oliver Alawuba has urged investors to focus on converting Africa’s development opportunities into commercially viable projects. Speaking at a New York symposium during United Nations General Assembly engagements, he cited the bank’s financing of telecommunications, roads and digital services as examples of structured capital supporting delivery.
United Bank for Africa Group Managing Director Oliver Alawuba has called for greater focus on converting Africa’s development opportunities into investable and commercially sustainable projects. Alawuba made the call in New York during the Forward Africa Leaders Symposium, held alongside United Nations General Assembly engagements. Speaking in a fireside chat titled “From Mandate to Impact,” he said development ambitions required rigorous preparation, dependable revenues, credible institutions and accountable delivery.
He said UBA’s experience across the continent showed how financial institutions could connect African enterprises with capital, expertise and financial infrastructure. The areas cited included telecommunications, energy, roads and digital services. Alawuba referred to a $6.56m telecommunications modernisation project in Chad that UBA financed in 2021.
He said the project was completed in 2025 and the loan fully repaid, presenting it as an example of a defined development need progressing from financing to completion when structure and accountability were in place. He also cited a $45m loan facility to Oak Asset SPV for road construction in Kenya. According to Alawuba, UBA’s role there extended beyond project financing to government collections and contractor facilities, providing banking support across the delivery chain.
Digital finance was another part of his presentation. Alawuba said UBA’s Leo platform serves more than six million users across 20 African countries and processes more than 16 million transactions annually. The platform supports English, French, Portuguese and Swahili, which he said helps reduce language and market barriers.
He also pointed to UBA’s financing and banking activities in Burkina Faso, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, Tanzania and Liberia. These, he said, included direct lending, syndicated financing, guarantees and contractor facilities. Alawuba said African financial institutions needed local market understanding alongside international connections capable of mobilising capital and supporting cross-border investment.
He described African enterprise as central to the continent’s transformation, supported by strong institutions and global partnerships.
This independently written report is based on information supplied by the named publisher. Vertrix News has not independently verified the source report.