UBA HIGHLIGHTS AFRICA’S INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITIES

The Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of United Bank for Africa, Oliver Alawuba, has called for greater investment in viable projects capable of driving economic development across Africa.

Alawuba made the call in New York during the Forward Africa Leaders Symposium held on the sidelines of the ongoing United Nations General Assembly engagements.

Speaking during a fireside chat titled “From Mandate to Impact,” he said Africa’s development opportunities needed proper preparation, strong institutions and adequate capital to translate them into sustainable projects.

He stressed the importance of commercially viable projects, dependable revenue streams and accountable institutions in attracting long-term investment to the continent.

Alawuba highlighted UBA’s role in financing projects across telecommunications, energy, roads and digital services in different African markets.

He cited a $6.56m telecommunications modernisation project in Chad, which was completed in 2025 and fully repaid, as an example of how structured financing can support development projects.

He also referenced a $45m facility for road construction in Kenya and UBA’s digital banking platform, Leo, which serves more than six million users across 20 African countries.

Alawuba said African financial institutions had an important role to play in connecting local businesses with international capital and expertise.

He urged stakeholders to focus on preparing and de-risking viable projects while strengthening execution capacity to attract more investment into sectors such as power, digital connectivity and logistics.