It was a wonderful event yesterday for both the media in Sierra Leone and the United Bank for Africa as the New Managing Director/CEO of the United Bank for Africa, Mr. Usman Isiaka and key stockholders in the media in Sierra Leone met to discuss key areas of partnership.
Addressing the media at the New Brookfields Hotel in Freetown, the new MD/CEO expressed thanks and appreciation to the Sierra Leone media for all the support and publicity given to the bank since its inception in Sierra Leone in 2008.
He cited the good publicity he has received in Sierra Leone since his appointment as MD/CEO for the Sierra Leone Branch noting, “since I arrived in the country, there is yet any negative press about the bank because I read the papers everyday. I am very impressed. Thank you so much.”
The MD further revealed that the United Bank for Africa Plc is a pan-African Bank with financial services group headquartered in Lagos which also has subsidiaries in 20 African countries with offices in London, Paris and New York.
He further stated that their business strategy is built on being the bank of choice for businesses across the African continent articulating that using their extensive spread across the continent with the aim of facilitating inter–and-intra-African trade and also the pivot for the inflow of investment capital.
“We focus on supporting people and businesses to succeed across Africa, Europe, and North America. Through our diverse range of financial products and services, we help people fulfil their goals and enable businesses to prosper,” the consummate banker asserted.
Mr. Usman Isiaka said the Chairman for the United Bank for Africa is a man ready to support African countries, the reason the Bank is always committed to being a socially responsible company and role model for all businesses in Africa underscoring that it is because of this reason that gave birth to the UBA Foundation which focuses on the socio-economic development of the communities in which the bank operates by focusing on development in the areas of Education, Environment, Economic Empowerment and Special Projects.
The CEO also disclosed that the bank has been providing different support to the government of Sierra Leone and would continue to do so when necessary citing support to the mudslide and flooding in 2017, Hands Off Our Girls Campaign that promotes education on sexual reproductive health and rights and the fight against rape in the country.
Furthermore, the bank was the first to donate to the COVID-19 fight with One Billion, Four Hundred and Forty Million Leones, an equivalent of ($150,000) as part of the UBA’s Foundation direct relief support to the government of Sierra Leone to the fight against COVID-19.
He also pointed out the other areas of support to government including education and the Freetown City Council.
What changed the moment at the ceremony was when the proactive banker announced, “for UBA Golden Touch Award-For this Year, the bank will like to partner with SLAJ and IMC to organize the Annual Media Awards. The Bank also provides annual training for journalists in Africa but Sierra Leone is yet to benefit from this opportunity. My MCC Team will work with SLAJ once this opportunity is made available,” he revealed.
The President of the Sierra Leone Association of Journalists (SLAJ), Ahmed Sahid Nasralla, aka De Monk, in a very happy mood welcomed the new MD to Sierra Leone assuring that with the large turnout of media practitioners at the programme indicates that they are ready to work with the Bank as well as support other progressive institutions that are partners in development to promote the country and called on the MD to support the local media.
The President of the Women in the Media Sierra Leone, Ms. Femi Coker also welcomed the new CEO assuring that the media is always yearning for private sector support and as partners in development and looked forward to more fruitful interactive engagements.
Other key stakeholders who made statements included the representative of the IMC.
The programme, which attracted the President of the Sierra Leone Association of Journalists (SLAJ), Chairman of the Guild of Editors, President of Women in the Media Sierra Leone (WMSL), Vice Chairman, Sierra Leone Sports Writers Association, President of the Sierra Leone Reporters Union (SLRU) and other respectable members from various media houses, was chaired by the Brand Management Officer, Esther Emeh while the vote of thanks was delivered by the Head of Marketing and Corporate Communications, Sallieu Sesay.
