The Lion King Magazine | January - March 2017

ISSN 0794-9855 

9 770794 985005 

ISSUE 53 

January - March 2017 

Proudly 

amongst 

the pack 

The 

Enterprise: 

The Success 

Formula 

Softer 

Side of VO

Editor’s View 

We are a quarter of the way into 2017 and so much has happened 

already, we would need double the pages of the Lion King to 

communicate all the wonderful news of 2017 thus far. 

The Lion is the undisputed King of the jungle, but the Lioness 

actually rules the pride. Whilst the protective male is constantly on 

patrol, the female goes hunting to feed the family. In this edition 

of the Lion King, we celebrate our lionesses across Africa who 

are working really hard to contribute to the pride of UBA (Proudly 

amongst the pack, page 34). 

Whether you are a Lion or a Lioness, we all need to make a living 

these days as hunting for food is no longer trendy or sustainable. 

Read about how you can make money through investments (page 

7) and the successful young entrepreneurs across Africa who 

are pursuing the ideal of Africapitalism (Enterprise: the success 

formula, page 41). 

Editor-In-Chief 

Bola Atta 

Editor / 

Art Director 

Nonso Nduanya 

Contributors 

Ama Tanoh 

Anthony Osae-Brown 

Ayomipo Ajayi 

Beizia Fointama 

Bertha Appiah-Gyapong 

Dr. Kazeem Akano 

Ewulluh Ogonna 

Funlola Obe 

Judith Umunna 

Kayode Olowoyeye 

Mariam Mohammed 

Marietou Thiam-Seye 

Morenikeji Omotoso 

Moshood Azeez 

Ola Babs-Olugbemi 

Olawale Hamed 

Omede Odekina 

Sunday Onwuemele 

Udeme Ekwere 

Africa is a beautiful continent. The world just doesn’t know it yet. 

We visit Cameroun, one of those hidden treasures on our continent 

(Africa in miniature, page 18). Who needs a Caribbean holiday? If 

you haven’t seen the Adventures of TASA on REDTV (Must see series, 

page 55), you should subscribe to REDTV and take yourself into a 

world of dreams, glamour and fun. 

I caught a glimpse into the world of our DMD outside the office. I 

was let into a secret…shhh don’t tell anyone about VO’s roses (DMD 

with a difference, page 10). 

I hope you enjoy this edition 

of the Lion King magazine. 

Don’t forget to write to let us 

know what you liked and what 

you didn’t like. I can’t wait to 

bring you more exciting and 

informative news in the next 

edition. 

À la prochaine! 

Bola Atta 

Editor-in-Chief 

Catch up past issues 

Follow us @UBAGroup 

www.ubagroup.com 

January - March 2017 • The Lion King • 3

GMD’s Message 

Dear Colleagues 

The year 2017 has taken off on a 

positive note for our Bank, setting 

the tone with the introduction of our 

new core values which define our 

behavioural tenets especially as we 

seek to build an enduring institution 

that will outlive all of us. 

As we set our gaze on expected 

resounding gains in the year 2017, we 

focus our attention on the ultimate 

goal of the new core values which 

is to ensure effective delivery of our 

promise to the Customer. 

We intend to drive home the 

importance of the 3Es – Enterprise, 

Excellence, Execution - until every 

staff of the Bank personalises and 

breathes these values. UBA is building 

a culture of Enterprise, Excellence 

and Execution in our service delivery. 

This quarter and in this edition of the 

Lion King, we shall emphasise the 

thrust of the first of the 3Es – Enterprise 

The word Enterprise means different 

things to different people. It also 

means different things at different 

times. I would like to share what it 

means to us in UBA. 

By Enterprise we refer to the resilience 

and never-say-never attitude of 

every staff of UBA, top to bottom. It 

describes the strong desire to own a 

task, a function, a role, an assignment 

or a responsibility like everything 

else depends on it. The self-driven 

aspiration to go the extra mile in 

satisfying your customer – external or 

internal. 

Going forward, it is expected that 

all of us will become believers in the 

Bank and not just mere employees 

who work for the pay day. Our 

intention is to have a workforce 

across the Group with a unique 

culture of conceiving what needs to 

be done and will go ahead to do it 

without hesitation – People that make 

things happen! 

As we march into a promising future, 

we believe that career growth 

within the Bank will be for those 

who effectively and consistently 

demonstrate this key attribute of 

being entrepreneurial. Only an 

entrepreneurial workforce will serve 

customers better – existing and 

prospective. 

I want to therefore challenge you 

all to take responsibility for ensuring 

we do things to serve the customer 

better, ALWAYS. The UBA DNA of 

enterprise shall be seen in those who: 

• consistently own tasks (do not 

pass the buck) 

• go the extra mile to solve 

problems 

• demonstrate a high sense of 

ownership 

• show initiative and take charge 

of situations as they arise 

• break barriers and not 

constrained by excuses 

• constantly come up with 

innovative ways to do things 

better, always seeking 

improvements 

These attributes are synonymous 

with the workforce of High 

Performance Organisations 

(HPOs) and we are committed to 

building same in UBA. 

I challenge you to 

relentlessly strive to do 

better and affirm our 

Corporate essence; 

Excellent Service… 

Delivered. 

Thank you, 

KENNEDY UZOKA 

...we focus our 

attention on the 

ultimate goal of 

the new core values 

which is to ensure 

effective delivery of 

our promise to the 

Customer...” 

4 • The Lion King • January - March 2017

Contents 

Business 

06 How to make good Investment 

decisions 

07 Protecting your investments to get 

higher returns 

08 How to make more money as an 

entrepreneur 

09 Social media is big business 

Cover 

10 DMD with a difference 

INTERVIEWS 

14 Growing the Seed - Isong Udom, MD / 

CEO, UBA Cameroun 

18 Country Focus - Cameroun 

26 The ‘Rounds’ in 3 months 

Features 

34 Proudly amongst the pack 

41 Enterprise: The success formula 

44 How to be a true brand ambassador 

45 Can you handle the six types of 

people you meet daily? 

46 The banker’s guide to a stress-free life 

47 Lighten up your mood… 

Lifestyle 

48 Health 

50 Fashion 

52 Food 

55 Movies 

56 Poetry and Arts 

58 Humour 


Business 

HOW TO MAKE GOOD 

INVESTMENT DECISIONS 

By Olawale Hamed 

much you are prepared to lose if 

along the line things do not go 100% as 

desired. Risk appetite depends on certain 

factors which include age, past 

experience, personality and financial 

target. Younger people tend to have 

higher risk appetite due to their relative 

inexperience in financial matters. 

Older people may have taken losses 

in the past due to bad judgement 

and tend to be more careful as they 

progress in life. 

STEP 1: LEARN THE BASICS. 

Before joining the Investors’ Club, 

it is only normal that you learn the 

language. You need to understand 

basic terminologies and principles 

as this will equip you to make 

informed decisions. You need to 

know the basic investment products 

available in your chosen sector. 

For instance, in the financial world, 

investment products include stocks, 

bonds, mutual funds, etc. You can 

do this by reading, watching investment 

programmes or attending 

seminars. You should also familiarize 

yourself with investment related 

costs such as brokerage fees and 

other commissions. 

STEP 2: SET GOALS. 

The next step is to set your goals. 

Although the ultimate goal for most 

investors is to grow their wealth, 

some only wish to preserve their 

capital based on certain factors 

which may border on age, family 

circumstances, religious belief and 

risk appetite amongst others. 

STEP 3: DETERMINE YOUR 

RISK APPETITE. 

How nervous do you get when you 

lose money? Before taking on the 

investment, you must decide how 

STEP 4: DEFINE YOUR 

INVESTMENT STRATEGY. 

Here you need to identify your total 

capital and determine what portion 

you wish to invest in high-risk-highreturn 

projects and what portion you 

want to invest in low-risk-low-return 

projects. You also need to decide 

which sectors you want to invest in. 

UBA Provides quite an array of investment 

products such as Treasury Bills, 

FGN Bonds, Bankers Acceptances/ 

Commercial Papers, Fixed and Call 

deposits amongst others. For further 

inquiries please contact 

treasurygroup@ubagroup.com or 

investorrelations@ubagroup.com. 

STEP 5: CHOOSE 

INVESTMENTS. 

After following the steps above, you 

need to choose the investments that 

will make up your portfolio. If you are 

averse to risk, your portfolio should 

carry low risk investment options such 

as government treasury bills and sovereign 

bonds. However, if you desire 

quick and big profits your portfolio 

should carry more of high yielding risky 

assets such as loans stocks and equities. 

It is essential that we allocate and 

diversify our capital portfolio in order 

to avoid the risk of losing our entire 

capital if the sector in which we have 

invested fails. 

UBA Treasury or Investor Relations as 

your investment advisors are available 

to provide you with financial advisory 

services on investment options within 

the financial sector. Please note that 

financial advisory services are provided 

along with a disclaimer notice 

as the ultimate decision remains that 

of the potential investor. 


Business 

Protecting Your Investments 

to Get Higher Returns 

By Udeme Ekwere 

These are very hard times indeed, and as such, every 

extra penny is important. Of course investing extra 

income is usually a sure way to increase the value of 

your savings, rather than to leave it sitting idly. 

Investing your money can allow you to grow it. 

Most investment vehicles offer returns on your money over 

the long term. These returns allow your money to build, 

thus, creating wealth over time. If carried out wisely, these 

investments when they are done with a long-term focus can 

bring about interesting yields to the investors, which could 

aid in their future plans. 

There are various investment options which an individual 

can choose from, including but not limited to mutual funds, 

bonds, treasury bills, fixed income assets, stocks and shares, 

certificates of deposits, land and properties. 

Because money is hard to come by, monitoring your 

investment, whether in mutual funds, stocks and shares or 

any other means cannot be overemphasized, as failure to 

keep an eye on your investment can lead to huge losses on 

the part of the investor. 

By keeping an eye on your investment portfolio, you can 

prevent minor mistakes from turning into big problems. You 

can protect your investments by taking the following steps: 

Diversify your risks: This is a very 

important rule of the game. In other 

words, ‘do not put all your eggs in 

one basket.’ If you fail to diversify, 

you increase your risk. For instance, if 

you put all your savings in a certain 

company, and something happens 

to the company which leads to its 

folding up, chances are you may 

not get your hard-earned money 

back. Therefore, a wise investor should 

spread his risks; you can opt for various 

sectors in an economy, or different 

investment options to diversify your 

portfolio and increase your chances 

of higher returns. The truth is at one 

point or another your investments will 

drop in value. If you don’t want to 

deal with volatility, you’ll be better 

off sticking to cash and government 

bonds. However, you can’t expect 

higher returns from these. Stocks and 

bonds offer higher returns but they 

present higher risks, too. Despite that, 

if you still wish to invest in stocks and 

bonds, you can minimize the risk of 

volatility and protect your investments 

in the process by placing them in a 

diverse mix of bonds and stocks. 

Review your portfolio 

regularly: From time to time, an 

investor should put his books in order, 

and review his portfolio to ensure 

that his investments meet up with his 

planned objectives. Be sure that you 

understand and are comfortable with 

the risks, costs, and liquidity associated 

with your investment options. You 

have a right to know what is on your 

portfolio and ensure that all records 

about you are accurate and are in 

line with your investment objectives 

and goals and make any changes 

where necessary. 

Keep all documentation safe: 

It is important to take time to study 

and read all documents that you 

receive from your broker, mutual fund 

or investment adviser, and also ensure 

that documentation are kept safe. 

If you do not understand anything, 

consult your financial adviser or 

lawyer. Also check to make sure 

your confirmations and account 

statements are accurate. 

Learn to reward yourself: You 

need to learn to reward yourself when 

you have made some meaningful 

profit off your investment. You can pay 

yourself by selling off a small part of 

your profitable venture and investing 

the income in something else. This will 

also help to reduce risks if any, and to 

ensure that your funds are not stuck in 

one sector all the time. 

Put your money where your 

mouth is: Literally! You should 

only invest in what you believe in 

and not based on just hearsay. In 

other words, if you don’t understand 

an investment, then don’t put any 

money into it. There are lots of good 

investment opportunities that are easy 

to understand. Why risk putting money 

into something that might or might 

not make sense? Alternatively, spend 

more time learning about the markets 

and sectors you wish to invest in. 

Lastly remember that if something 

sounds too good to be true, it probably 

is. There is no such thing as a free lunch, 

but there are plenty of con artists who 

are willing to take your money. 


Business 

How to make more money as 

an entrepreneur 

By Anthony Osae-Brown 

Most people want to make more money even if they 

do not say so openly. The world is ruled by money as 

you need money to access the basic and complex 

things of life. But how do you make more money, is a 

question that many keep asking. 

Your focus should not be on the money to 

1 

be made but on the service or product to 

be offered. Money comes to only those who 

create value. So, instead of thinking of making 

a million naira, why not think of offering service 

to a million people. Imagine, if you can create 

a product that reached a million people, the 

impact you will make. The money will naturally follow, when 

the focus is on offering incredible service or product to a 

million people. 

2 

Money should be the fuel to offer more service or 

improved products. When you start making money 

from offering incredible service, what do you do 

when the money starts coming in? The money 

should be used in offering more incredible service 

or products. Simply, the money should be invested 

in improving whatever product or service you are offering 

and increasingly elevating your service or product in a way 

that those who want to compete find it difficult to catch 

up. Your money should be invested in a relentless pursuit 

of excellence in whatever you sell or the service your offer. 

That is the only guarantee to make more money. 

Be the best at one thing. Do you have 

3 

something you can do better than anyone 

else in your immediate environment or even 

in the world? Is it something you are very 

passionate about? If your answer to both 

questions is a “yes” then all you need to do; 

Work at it. Train. Learn. Practice. Evaluate. 

Refine until you become so good in it that 

the world notices in a way that they are 

ready to pay you premium to deliver it to them. Achieving 

excellence in what you do usually commands premium 

pay. So, aim for excellence in what you do and watch the 

world pay you a premium price for it. However, excellence 

can only be achieved through continuous persistence in a 

desire to achieve excellence. 


Business 

Social media is big 

business 

By Morenikeji Omotoso 

Social media 

Evolution 

2005 

2006 

Twitter 

2004 

2004 

Flickr 

The main function of social media 

is interaction. People near and far 

are able to communicate because 

platforms like Blogs, Facebook, Twitter, 

Instagram, Snapchat etc. exist. The 

origins of digital communication go 

way back. In the 1700's unconventional 

means of communication like the 

telegraph, became popular because 

people were able to connect with 

loved ones across long distances with 

ease. Fast forward to 1890 and 1891 

when the telephone and radio were 

invented. How many of us remember 

the excitement of getting to call a 

friend or relative for the first time. You 

wouldn’t say too much but the joy 

you experienced from hearing the 

voice of that loved one across the 

line was oddly satisfying; Or you and 

your family gathered around the radio 

with the long rabbit ear antenna's that 

you had to adjust every so often so 

that you could listen to your favourite 

program for a half hour. We have 

certainly come a long way since then. 

Many would argue that the major 

communication shift happened 

with the invention of email and the 

internet in the 1960's. People were 

given the opportunity to connect, 

interact, learn and engage with 

people they'd never met before. 

Fast forward a few years, and social/ 

digital media is the cornerstone of 

most communication strategies 

across the globe. Social media has 

shifted the general perception of 

what it means to connect with others. 

People fall in love, start businesses 

and apply for jobs. Many corporations 

have identified the shift, and are 

embracing it to appeal to customers. 

Social media plays a huge role in 

the marketing and customer service 

arms of an organization. It can help 

bring in new customers, it assists in 

servicing current, prospective and 

future customer bases and to be frank, 

it’s easier. 

In the early 2000's corporations 

took advantage of the unique 

environment the digital space fosters. 

Customers are at liberty to send a 

tweet directly to a bank’s handle 

for one reason or another, and the 

bank can respond. Social media 

bridges the gap between the large, 

unattainable façade of a large Pan 

African bank and the concerns of 

individual customers. Interactions in 

the digital sphere make it possible 

and convenient to communicate 

effectively with customers, therefore 

enhancing their experience and 

affinity with the brand. Now, brands 

are discovering new and innovative 

ways to appeal to their customers by 

engaging in activities that are in line 

with the interests of their customers. 

There is a psychological theory known 

as the theory of social influence. It 

is the change in behaviour that one 

person causes in another, intentionally 

or unintentionally, as a result of the 

way the changed person perceives 

themselves in relationship to the 

influencer, other people and society 

in general. This influence, paired with 

relevant and engaging digital content 

will grow an organizations following, 

increase customers and generate an 

additional source of revenue. 

In sum, social media is affecting the 

way companies interact with their 

customers. Organizations are able to 

control how people perceive their 

companies by the content they 

post and interactions they have with 

followers. Because of this, customers 

trust the organizations they follow 

and gain affinity. This trust births an 

atmosphere for social influence and 

behavioural change. 

Facebook 

2003 

MySpace 

2001 

Wikipedia 

1999 

1966 

Email 

1792 

Telegraph 

2003 

SecondLife 

2002 

Friendster 

1999 

Blogger 

1985 

The WELL 

1890 

Telephone 


Cover 

I like indoor games. 

I play chess. I read 

novels. Just name 

the novel and I 

have read it...” 

Picture by Oghenero Onosode 


Cover 

DMD with a difference 

By Bola Atta 

Bola Atta spends an 

afternoon getting 

to know our Deputy 

Managing Director, Victor 

Osadolor and captures the 

man behind the numbers. 

“I am a Scorpio. Scorpions have an intense way 

in which they are mindful of their environment 

and I spend time trying to decipher what is 

going on in my environment.” 

Victor Osadolor (VO as we all know him), 

tells me this during our chat one bright 

sunny afternoon. It was not far from the 

first impressions I had ever made of him, 

I must admit. My first few interactions 

with VO left me curious about the quiet 

man behind the glasses. The man who 

would rarely eat or drink at functions, 

but pleasantly watch people and the 

environment. He wouldn’t know that I, 

equally being a people watcher, was 

also observing him as part of my learning 

process. 

We would one day, soon after I started 

working at UBA, get to chat very briefly 

about lifestyles. He wanted to know my 

background, I wanted to know why he 

ate so little at functions. I learnt that he 

is very careful about what he eats, very 

health conscious and also methodical 

about the choices that he makes. I 

learnt that he has a passion for the 

French language. 

Many months after this, I had the 

opportunity to go into his office and the 

first thing I noticed was a bouquet of red 

roses that had a place of prominence. 

There was a softer side of VO! 

Victor Osadolor was born about 51 

years ago and qualified as a chartered 

accountant 27 years ago. This hadn’t 

been what his parents wanted. ‘Studying 

accountancy was accidental. My 

parents wanted me to study medicine 

and I was okay with this. But in the 

course of pursuing that objective, I got 

admission into Uni to study pharmacy 

and not medicine.’ 

Being a methodical thinker who plans 

ahead, VO decided he wouldn’t go in for 

pharmacy. That was not part of his plans. 

He instead, took a gap year and worked 

at First bank. He found excitement in 

banking during this time. He fell in love 

with the profession. ‘There weren’t many 

universities offering banking as a course 

in those days. The closest I could get to 

it was accountancy.’ And so he went 

on to the University of Benin to study 

accountancy. 

After his Accountancy degree at 

Uniben, VO went to work at Coopers 

and Lybrand before proceeding to 

Afribank. ‘Banking in those days wasn’t 

customer service oriented, but there 

was deep knowledge of banking with 

significant amount of training in the 

understanding of banking operations, 

of credit.’ 

He remained in the banking industry 

even though he trained with Coopers 

and Lybrand and became a chartered 

accountant. 

When Guaranty Trust bank came 

unto the scene, he joined them at the 

early stages, from there he went on to 

Ecobank and then STB. The rest is history. 

Our conversation moved back to life 

outside numbers. He didn’t mention that 

my budget was high; VO didn’t check 

the website to see if there were any 

changes to be made. 

We talked instead about his growing up 

years. His father was a civil servant and 

his mother, a trader. First in a family of 5 

children, he became very responsible 

at a young age. He attended primary 

education in Benin and secondary, at 

Edo College (where both the present 

Oba of Benin and the former Oba of 

Benin attended). ‘It was a privilege to 

have been a part of that school. It is 

where we all cut our teeth in terms of 

etiquette and the way we live our lives 

today.’ 

His boarding school experience at Edo 


Cover 

College was tough, but it taught him 

discipline and how to compete. ‘We 

used to have brain tests and I would 

always come first. For some of us 

who couldn’t afford provisions (school 

tuck), we would do the brain test and 

win provisions to give to friends and 

earn the acknowledgement and nod 

of our seniors.’ 

VO as we know him today, is very 

good with figures. ‘I am exceptionally 

good at math and its just God that 

gave me that skill.’ 

At school, he wanted to excel in 

everything and not just math. ‘I am a 

fairly pragmatic person and we came 

from a humble home. My father was 

a disciplinarian. If you wanted to have 

peace at home, you needed to do 

well at school.’ 

VO recalls when in his 3rd year at 

primary school, he came 1st in the 

first term, 4th in the second term and 

7th in the third term. His teacher wrote 

in his end of year report that he was 

a talkative and a fighter in class. This 

didn’t go down too well with his dad, 

the disciplinarian. ‘In fact, that was 

the last time I ever didn’t come first 

in class’ he says of the way his dad 

dealt with him after the report that 

appeared scathing. 

He had to do well for himself and for 

his dad. ‘My dream for myself was a 

very practical dream. Because I came 

from a humble background, I dreamt 

that I would work hard to support 

my parents and my younger ones. 

Getting into Edo College was a turning 

point for me. It was consistent with my 

father’s goals and dreams for me. My 

father shaped my life in a lot of ways.’ 

I gathered this throughout our chat, 

as reference to his dad was consistent 

and frequent. With pride he says of his 

dad ‘there was absolutely nowhere 

I would be going to that my dad 

wouldn’t follow. He was always there 

when I won awards. He would excuse 

himself from work to take me to major 

exams like the common entrance 

exams, sit throughout the exams and 

be there to give me food during the 

breaks. He was a dad. A real dad. He 

worked at the ministry of Agriculture 

and would always bring home fruits 

and other things to make one happy.’ 

His mother’s role was not lost in all 

of this. He speaks of her with a lot of 

affection. ‘My mum was a confidante 

growing up. Someone you could 

share your thoughts with. She had a 

lot of wisdom. She knew how to calm 

things down and effectively tackle 

issues. That’s why she was able to live 

with my dad’ he laughs. 

He himself is calm but doesn’t really 

know why. ‘I would say that it’s the 

way I grew up. I didn’t grow up being 

mischievous, going to parties and the 

likes. Neither was I that child that was 

always in church. I think I was just a 

very disciplined child. I love being 

able to relate to people but I also 

realize that one must always comport 

themselves. I see this a lot in the British.’ 

Of his office he says ‘You must have 

carriage in your office. I have had 

to do some very challenging jobs 

and those jobs require that you obey 

certain behaviour and be disciplined. 

An ED risk cannot be excessive in their 

behaviour. I have also once occupied 

the position of Group CFO. Investors 

and stakeholders are never happy 

with untoward behaviour’ he asserts. 

In spite of this calmness, he does 

want to be able to relate with his 

colleagues. ‘It is important that as you 

remain responsible in your behaviour, 

you do not create a block between 

yourself and colleagues. I want to be 

able to relate with my colleagues so 

people can feel welcome and be 

welcoming.’ 

When he is not working, VO can be 

quite sociable. ‘I like indoor games. I 

play chess. I read novels. Just name 

the novel and I have read it: James 

Hardley Chase, Robert Ludlum, Nick 

Carter, John Grisham... those are some 

of my favourite novelists. It’s tougher 

now, but I still read a few novels from 

time to time.’ 

Before we end our conversation, I find 

out that VO is a good cook. He likes 

all kinds of music including rock. He 

likes desert. He really likes ice cream 

but because he is health conscious, 

doesn’t indulge. He also loves to 

teach. ‘I see myself as retiring from the 

banking industry to go into teaching. 

I enjoy training people. I would like to 

teach at the Lagos Business School 

and all over the world, teaching the 

things that will draw up some of the 

experience I have gotten over time.’ 

I suddenly realized that I had taken up 

a lot of our Executive’s time and even 

though he had been very patient with 

me, I knew I had to leave to allow him 

get on with his busy schedule. 

Picture by Oghenero Onosode 


I see myself as 

retiring from 

the banking 

industry to go 

into teaching. I 

enjoy training 

people.” 


Growing the Seed 

Everything is possible to 

those that believe! 

Isong Udom 

MD/CEO, UBA Cameroun 

By Omede Odekina 



UBA Cameroun has been 

a force to reckon with in 

Cameroun, one of Central 

Africa’s biggest economies. The 

bank was recently recognised 

as ‘Bank of the Year 2016’ in 

Cameroun by renowned UK 

publication, The Banker Magazine. 

The bank also recently signed 

a landmark agreement with 

the Government of Cameroun 

to provide a loan of XAF 24.5 

billion. The bank has continued 

to play a key role in financing 

Cameroun’s economy by lending 

to key corporates and parastatals, 

disbursing about XAF 125 billion 

as credit to the economy. 

Isong Udom is the game-changer 

driving UBA’s operations in 

Cameroun. His goals-driven 

approach has seen the bank in 

Cameroun win several awards 

and placed UBA Cameroun as 

one of the leading banks in this 

unique country. Meet Isong Udom, 

MD/CEO, UBA Cameroun. 

Congratulations on your recent 

outstanding performance. How 

have you been able to achieve this, 

considering the challenging global 

economy? 

It is quite heart-warming that despite 

the major challenges in the global 

economy, Cameroun’s economy 

has been relatively resilient and 

shown good performance. The 

economic and long-standing political 

stability have created an enabling 

environment for businesses to thrive 

successfully. 

Thanks also to the dedication and 

resilience of our staff as well as the 

support and patronage of our valued 

clients. Our staff are equipped to 

deliver and even surpass expectations. 

Service delivery has been top-notch, 

thereby, providing customers with the 

quality of service they deserve. 

Our customers have also been faithful 

because they trust us. Not only have 

they continued doing business with 

us, the majority have also decreased 

their wallet share with competition 

to our advantage. We have also 

succeeded in signing on new clients 

who relate to us as strategic partners 

to our mutual advantage. 

Congratulations again on the feat 

achieved by the Indomitable Lions 

of Cameroun at the just concluded 

Africa Cup of Nations in Gabon. How 

can you draw from this victory to 

inspire you team to achieve success? 

Everything is possible to those that 

believe! It is what you think about 

yourself as a team that matters 

most. The indomitable Lions’ victory 

is a classic example of belief, faith, 

resilience, hard work, team effort, 

focus and determination towards 

achieving set goals. Many did not see 

them as favourites or even a team that 

would lift the highly coveted trophy of 

the tournament. However the team 

believed in their strengths and came 

together pushing forward always and 

in the end they were crowned African 

champions. In the bank it is the same 

story; we are working to be among 

the top three banks in the country 

and to do that we need to embrace 

the qualities of the indomitable lions 

and sure we would meet and surpass 

our objectives. UBA Cameroun Lions 

and Lionesses should then take the 

indomitable Lions as model and the 

victory will be ours. 

Tell us about yourself. 

I was born in Nigeria where I had my 

Secondary and University Education 

before joining the banking profession. 

I am married and also a father. My 

career in banking has seen me work 

in various capacities over the years. 

I have attended many professional 

courses and training in Nigeria and 

abroad. Much of this experience has 

helped me to adapt to work in West 

and Central Africa. I am passionate 

and result-oriented. 

What inspires you? 

I am inspired each time I see someone 

or people working hard to create a 

positive, unique change or add value 

aimed at making life better for others 

or the society at large. 

As CEO, what is a typical day in your 

life like? 

As a CEO my days are usually full, 

from when I wake up in the morning 

till I retire at night. I usually plan my 

days in the mornings. The day is most 

of the time focused fully on working 

to drive the business of the bank 

forward. This will include meeting with 

potential and existing customers of the 

bank and also working with the staff 

of the bank to ensure we serve our 

customers better. It is usually hectic 

and interesting as events and issues 

are not usually similar. Often there are 

unplanned events that come along 

and make the day more interesting. 

What other passions do you have, 

beyond banking? 

Aside banking, I love to read a wide 

range of books. We have a lot to see 

in other countries across the world 

and I like to travel and meet different 

people to understand their way of life, 

culture, etc. For now, in my present 

role, this is difficult but I find time once 

in a while to travel. 

How would you describe the 

Camerounian Economy? 

Unlike the other Central African 

Economic and Monetary Community 

(CEMAC) countries, Cameroun has a 

well diversified economy that exhibits 

resilience against the external shocks 

related to the drop in oil prices. It is 

“the engine of the CEMAC”. In 2016, 

according to the World Bank, the real 

GDP growth rate stood at 5.6% and is 

expected to hover around 5% - 6% over 

the next three years. Services account 

for 48% of the GDP while Industry 

represents 31% and Agriculture 21%. 

The inflationary pressures are under 

control as the country’s inflation rate 

is within the 3%-ceiling set by CEMAC 

convergence criteria. Commodities 

like oil, cocoa, cotton, timber 

represent the major source of the 



country’s export earnings. European 

Union, China, India and Nigeria are 

the top four trade partners of the 

country. 

What are the likely investment 

opportunities waiting to be explored 

in Cameroun? 

The likely investment opportunities 

waiting to be explored in Cameroun 

are mainly in the Construction, Mining, 

Energy and Agriculture sectors. 

What is the Camerounian banking 

sector like? 

The banking sector, which comprises 

15 banks, is mostly concentrated with 

the top three banks holding about 

50% of the loans and deposits of the 

market. The financial inclusion is quite 

limited as the percentage of people 

having a bank account is estimated 

at 18% (3.3 million customers: 1.7 

million for the microfinance institutions 

and 1.6 million for the banks). The 

Camerounian banks capitalization is 

quite low and the industry average 

NPL ratio (around 14%) can be 

considered as high according to 

international standards. The banks are 

also dependent on sight deposits and 

the sector is still evolving particularly 

in terms of innovation of financial 

products. 

The recent surge of mobile money 

services offered by mobile telephone 

operators represents one of the key 

areas of focus in order to promote 

a better financial inclusion in the 

country. 

Talking about financial inclusion, what 

are you doing about the huge and 

untapped market out there waiting to 

be banked? 

Just like most African countries there 

is a huge untapped market. We 

are continually designing products 

that meet the needs of particular 

segments of the population (e.g. 

VPPC, accounts for Muslims, U-star 

for students, Freedom savings for 

low income earners, U-care for 

kids etc). Generally we try to take 

into consideration the needs of the 

different segments of customers in 

designing and fine tuning our products 

and services. 

Win-win partnerships with different 

stakeholders who would open up 

doors to other markets are key. In this 

light we consider partnerships with 

MFI, Investment companies, telecom 

(mobile money), digital marketing 

companies etc. as the way forward. 

Where do you see UBA Cameroun in 

the next five years? 

UBA Cameroun would be one of the 

top three banks in the country across 

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) 

such as deposit, loans, PBT, customer 

base and quality service. 

A strong focus on channel expansion, 

strengthening our leadership in 

electronic products coupled with 

the continued improvement of the 

organizational structure will provide 

the bank a better position for growth. 

We will equally focus on the proper 

growth and diversification of both our 

Balance Sheet and income sources 

and rendition of superior quality service 

to our clients – these will facilitate our 

entrenchment as a major systemic 

bank in the country. 

We will utilize our various banking 

channels around the country to 

serve more customers, employ more 

Camerounians and partner with many 

businesses to provide value, growth 

and contribute to the development 

of the Camerounian economy and 

create more value for our shareholders. 



Cameroun 

Africa in miniature 

By Beizia Fointama 

Reunification Monument Buea is a monument commemorating 

the Reunification of Cameroun. The magnificent structure 

is built with concrete and metal cylinders, with the logo of 

the celebration of the Independence and Reunification of 

Cameroun as the central unit. It is a relaxation park. 

Picture by Mark Fischer 


Country Focus 

Lake Maga is located in the far North region 

of Cameroun. A trip across this lake is quite 

intruiging, revealing the flimsy huts in which 

fishermen and their families live during the 

fishing season. The landscape is breath-taking 

and there is also abundant birdlife on the lake. 

Picture by Carsten ten Brink 

The Republic of Cameroun is often 

referred to as “Africa in miniature” 

because it exhibits all major climates 

and vegetation of the continent: 

coast, desert, mountains, rainforest, 

and savannah. At 475,442 square 

kilometres (183,569 sq mi), Cameroun 

is the world’s 53rd-largest country. The 

country is located in Central and West 

Africa on the Bight of Bonny, part of 

the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic 

Ocean. 

Portuguese sailors reached the coast 

in 1472. They noted an abundance 

of the ghost shrimp Lepidophthalmus 

turneranus in the Wouri River and 

named it Rio dos Camarões (Shrimp 

River), which later became Cameroun 

in English. 

The German Empire claimed the territory 

as the colony of Kamerun in 1884 

and began a steady push inland. 

They initiated projects to improve the 

colony’s infrastructure. Some of these 

structures are still being used to this 

day around the country. 

With the defeat of Germany in World 

War I, Kamerun became a League 

of Nations mandate territory and was 

split into French Camerouns and British 

Camerouns in 1919. 

Wide view of Yaoundé 

capital city of Cameroun 

East Cameroun gained its independence 

from France on 1st January, 

1960 to become the republic of 

Cameroun. After a plebiscite in British 

Cameroun on 11 February 1961, reunification 

was opted for and materialized 

on 1 October 1961. The fed- 


Country Focus 

Downtown Yaounde, 

capital of Cameroun 

eral Republic of Cameroun was born. 

Evolution through the years has seen 

the country become the Republic of 

Cameroun as it is known today. 

Cameroun enjoys relatively high political 

and social stability. This has permitted 

the development of agriculture, 

roads, railways, and large petroleum 

and timber industries. 

The country is divided into 10 regions. 

A 2013 estimate puts the population 

at 22,534,532. Yaoundé is the political 

capital and Douala the economic 

capital. French and English are the 2 

official languages. However, there are 

24 major African language groups, 

with some 270 indigenous dialects 

spoken. Most belong to the Bantu and 

Semi-Bantu (or Sudanic) language 

groups. 

factors that often impact underdeveloped 

countries, such as stagnant 

per capita income, a relatively inequitable 

distribution of income, a topheavy 

civil service, endemic corruption, 

continuing inefficiencies of a 

large parastatal system in key sectors, 

and a generally unfavourable climate 

for business enterprise. 

The Bandjoun chefferie. 

Bandjoun is of the largest 

traditional chiefdom (chefferie) 

in Bamiléké country. This 

intriguing structure is the 

main symbol of Bandjoun. 

The country devotes significant 

resources to several large infrastructure 

projects currently under construction, 

including a deep sea port in 

Kribi and the Lom Pangar Hydropower 

Project. Cameroun’s energy sector 

continues to diversify, recently opening 

a natural gas powered electricity 

generating plant. Cameroun continues 

to seek foreign investment to 

improve its inadequate infrastructure, 

create jobs, and improve its economic 

footprint. Major efforts are being put in 

place to encourage foreign investors 

ECONOMY 

Modest oil resources and favourable 

agricultural conditions provide 

Cameroun with one of the bestendowed 

primary commodity economies 

in Sub-Saharan Africa. Oil remains 

Cameroun’s main export commodity, 

and despite falling global oil prices, 

still accounts for nearly 40% of export 

earnings. 

Cameroun’s economy suffers from 

20 • The Lion King • January - March 2017 

Picture by Carsten ten Brink

Country Focus 

to come into the country. 

CULTURE 

Over 250 ethnic groups live in 

Cameroun’s 10 regions. Across the 

different regions, communities have 

an allegiance to local chiefs as well 

as being ruled by central government. 

As might be expected from 

the large number of ethnic groups, 

Cameroun’s people follow different 

religions. Around half are Christian 

(Catholics and Protestant), mostly in 

the south. In the North, Muslims dominate, 

accounting for nearly a quarter 

of the population. The remaining 25% 

of the population follow variations of 

traditional animist beliefs, paying homage 

to the spirits of ancestors. 

With so many cultures and traditions, 

there is general tolerance between 

groups. Camerounians tend to be 

more conscious of a person’s region, 

than their religion. And in some 

aspects of life, particularly in sport and 

football, Camerounians think nationally! 

Music and dance are an integral part 

of Camerounian ceremonies, festivals, 

social gatherings, and storytelling. 

Popular music styles include ambasse 

bey of the coast, assiko of the Bassa, 

mangambeu of the Bangangte, and 

tsamassi of the Bamileke. The two most 

popular styles of music are makossa 

and bikutsi. 

The different cultures have also 

blessed this nation with a very big 

variety of foodstuff. Camerounian cuisine 

is known for its uniqueness, nutritive 

value and richness. A tourist can 

eat one new meal every day for a 

whole month. Cocoyam, maize, cassava 

(manioc), millet, plantains, potatoes, 

rice, fresh vegetables, fish, just to 

name a few are available throughout 

the year. 

SPORTS 

There is no way you can talk about 

Cameroun without mentioning sports, 

and most importantly, football. The 

Indomitable Lions, the male senior 

team, were the first African team to 

qualify for the quarterfinals of the world 

cup in 1990. They have been a dominant 

force on the continent winning 5 

AFCON titles. The most recent won at 

the just ended 2017 AFCON in Gabon. 

In addition they have been to the 

world cup 6 times. The Olympic football 

team is one of the only 2 African 

countries to win a gold medal at 

the Olympic in Sydney 2000. Football 

remains one of Cameroun’s biggest 

exports with thousands of players playing 

on almost every continent. 

Other sports disciplines too have 

brought much glory to the country. 

Francoise Mbango bagged 2 gold 

medals in the triple jump at the 

Olympics in 2004 and 2008. Handball, 

volleyball basketball, wrestling, weight 

lifting and martial arts are sports also 

very present in Cameroun. 

Cameroun last year hosted the 

Female African nation’s cup and in 

2019 will be hosting the male AFCON. 

Preparations are gonging on to ensure 

all is set before the start of the tournament. 

Sunset on Lobé River. 

Take a local boat ride up this lush river to visit 

the pygmies of Bagyeli village. Lobe waterfalls 

empty the waters of the Lobe river directly into 

the Atlantic ocean, a very rare phenomenon. 

Picture by Ludwig Tröller 


Country Focus 

Sites to 

visit 

Cameroun is an ideal tourist destination 

in Africa and has a 

good record of security. The 

people are very welcoming to strangers. 

It is a good destination for sea and 

beach loving visitors, with about 400 

km of the Atlantic coast stretching 

along part of the country. Kribi and 

Limbe towns are the highest points 

of attraction for tourism on the coast. 

From these coasts, tourists can also 

carry out inland tourism to other destinations. 

In Kribi, there is an excellent beach 

of white sand extending over a large 

area with coconut trees from time to 

time appearing on the scenery. The 

contact between the Ocean and the 

sea is also an extraordinary site to see. 

Another wonder of Kribi is found in the 

south where a number of cascades 

of about 30 m high have given rise to 

waterfalls, the most spectacular being 

the Lobe fall which issues out directly 

into the Atlantic Ocean. From Lobe, 

further visits on boats and canoes 

will take you to the discovery of the 

Pygmies of the equatorial Forest. 

The Limbe region is close to Douala 

and has a splendid site marked by the 

mount Cameroun which dominates 

the Atlantic region of Cameroun. The 

road linking the coast to Douala passes 

along magnificent plantations of 

rubber, palms and bananas. The geology 

of the coastal area is generally 

characterized by a large expanse of 

grey sand. 

Kribi beach. 

Kribi beaches are stunning 

with white sand, surrounding 

the blue sea. There are plenty 

of hotels in the Kribi area and 

most are reasonably priced. 

There is a high diversity of most fauna 

and flora species found in Africa, 

with some that can only be found in 

Cameroun. There are presently nine 

national parks serving as a safe haven 

for wildlife in its natural state. These 

are areas of safari in which visitors can 

observe, take photos and feel the 

presence of animals in nature. 

The Waza National Park is the most 


Country Focus 

Kribi beach resort. 

Because of its popular beach locations in Ngo’e and near 

the Lobé Waterfalls, Kribi is a renowned tourist destination 

in Cameroun. Kribi is equally very popular for its roasted 

fish. Fishermen typically come in from the sea on weekends 

and sell fresh fishes that tourists can then buy and 

have roasted in many restaurants around the beach. 

Picture by Tdyy 

Foumban Palace. 

The Royal Palace of Foumban is one of the oldest 

palaces in the history of Africa in ancient times. The 

Palace is currently inhabited by the sultan (King), 

who is the 19th ruler of the Bamoun dynasty. 

popular in Cameroun and one of 

the most spectacular in francophone 

black Africa. It is located in the Far 

North Province and is a paradise for 

lions and numerous mammals like 

giraffes, elephants, cheetahs, leopards 

etc. as well as a great colony of 

diverse bird species. 

The Bouba Ndjidah National park is 

a territory for rhinoceros. There are 


Country Focus 

Limbe beach. 

Limbe is another great tourist 

destination, especially for travellers 

looking to explore nature’s beauty 

and wildlife. 

equally lions, elephants, buffaloes 

amongst others found here. The Benue 

National Park is at the heart of the 

northern region and it is a region with 

the largest antelopes, hippopotamus, 

hyenas, panthers, buffaloes etc. The 

Faro National park has a large number 

of animals amongst which are: buffaloes, 

rhinoceros, elephants, giraffes 

etc. The Kalamaloue National Park has 

elephants, crocodiles and a multitude 

of birds. The Mozogo Gokoro National 

park is of high botanical interest, and 

therefore a good site for research. The 

Korup national park located in the 

southern part of the country and has 

one of the oldest and most beautiful 

tropical forests in the world. 

Besides National parks, Cameroun 

also has a good number of reserves 

and sanctuaries such as that of Dja 

and Campo which are great gorilla 

sanctuaries. 

One of the country’s major tourist sites 

is the Foumban palace. The Palace is 

located in the town of Foumban. The 

Royal Palace of Foumban is currently 

inhabited by the sultan (King), who is 

the 19th ruler of the Bamoun dynasty 

which dates back from the 14th century 

in history. 

Foumban city is one of Cameroun’s 

major attractions and an important 

centre of traditional African art. Some 

of the major things found in the palace 

include a multitude of royal gowns, 

arms, musical instruments, statues, 

jewellery, masks and colourful beadcovered 

thrones carved in the shapes 

of the men who sat on them and seat 

of power for the Bamoun people. 

Botanical gardens Limbe. 

Limbe’s botanical garden is a great place 

to learn about nature and plants. 

A grey day on Limbe’s coast 

There are numerous monuments 

spread across the country, each built 

for a particular purpose, such as the 

Unity Monument in Yaounde, the 

Reunification Monument in Buea and 

the numerous statues left by the former 

German, British and French colonial 

powers, all offering great attraction 

and history of Cameroun. 

The national museum in Yaoundé is 

a melting pot for all the culture of 

Cameroun. Built at the former presidency 

in the heart of the capital it has 

become the home for many artifacts 

and precious traditional objects. Other 

museums like the maritime museum, 

the Bafut palace museum and others 

scattered in every region display what 

the country has as culture. 

Picture by Carsten ten Brink 



THE ROUNDS in 3 Months 

January 2017 

2 

1. Entrenching a culture of appreciation: 

UBA Chairman, Tony Elumelu; ED, Lagos and 

West Bank, Ayo Liadi; Afro Pop artiste, Mr. Eazi 

with staff at the luncheon in honour of UBA’s 

social media team 

1 

2. L-R: UBA Chairman; GMD/CEO, Kennedy 

Uzoka and Mr. Eazi at the luncheon. 

3 

4 

3. Speaker of Nigeria House of Representatives 

Assures UBA of Continued Patronage: 

L-R: GMD/CEO, Kennedy Uzoka with the Speaker, 

Nigeria House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Yakubu 

Dogara in Abuja. 

4. UBA Ghana Signs MoU with MIMOSA 

Conference Ltd: 

L-R: MD/CEO, UBA Ghana, Abiola Bawuah and 

Founder, ASEA Consulting & Associates, Chris 

Samson Andoh during the signing. 

5. UBA staff and other partners at the signing 

ceremony. 

5 


The rounds in 3 Months 

UBA Chairman, GMD join global business and public 

leaders at Davos to discuss world economy 

1 

2 

3 4 

5 6 7 

1. L-R: UBA GMD/CEO, Kennedy Uzoka; Nigeria’s Vice 

President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo and UBA Chairman, Tony 

Elumelu at the World Economic Forum in Davos. 

2. Uzoka with CNN Correspondent, Fareed Zakaria 

3. Brainstorming session between the TEF and Red Cross delegations, 

led by its President, Peter Maurer 

4. Elumelu being interviewed by France24’s Stephanie Antoine 

5. Uzoka with President/CEO of SASOL, Bongani Nqwababa 

6. Elumelu with Jianlin Wang, Chairman, Dalian Wanda 

Group and richest man in China 

7. Elumelu with CEO, Bureau Veritas, Didier Michaud-Daniel 

and his team 



February 2017 

1 

2 

3 

UBA strengthens brand affiliation on Nigerian campuses, unveils 15 Ambassadors 

1. DMD, Victor Osadolor (middle); ED, Lagos & 

West, Liadi Ayoku (12th right); ED/RCEO, Oliver 

Alawuba (3rd right); ED, Risk Management, 

Corporate Governance & Compliance, Ike Uche 

(5th left) and Head, Student Banking, UBA Plc, 

Mr. Tomiwa Sotiloye (2nd right) flanked by UBA 

Campus Ambassadors at their Inauguration 

ceremony which took place at the UBA house 

2. GMD, Kennedy Uzoka (middle) with the Campus 

Ambassadors 

3. Chief Technology Officer, Roland Awo-Osagie 

taking the Campus Ambassadors round the 

Bank’s IT facilities 

1 

2 

President Ernest Bai Koroma 

commissions UBA Bo branch: 

1. The President of the Republic of Sierra Leone, H.E. Dr. Ernest Bai 

Koroma cutting the ribbon to officially open UBA Branch in Bo, 

Sierra Leone 

2. L-R: President Koroma and MD/CEO, UBA Sierra Leone, Ndubuisi 

Ejiofor displaying cash withdrawn from the Branch ATM 



1 

2 

Ghana plays host to UBA 

Business Innovation 

Summit 2017 

1. GMD, Kennedy Uzoka, addressing staff at 

the Business Innovation Summit 

2. Uzoka and ED/RCEO, Anglophone Africa, 

Oliver Alawuba during a staff teambonding 

event before the strategy session 

4. Uzoka, Alawuba and MD/CEO, UBA Ghana, 

Abiola Bawuah with staff in Ghana 

3 

UBA Africa Business 

Innovation Summit in 

Cameroun 

1 

2 

3 

4 

1. GMD, Kennedy Uzoka 

addressing participants at 

the 2017 Business Innovation 

Summit in Cameroun 

2. Uzoka, ED/RCEO, 

Francophone Africa, Emeke 

Iweriebor and GH, Wholesale 

Banking, Erebor Franklin 

participating in a tug-of-war 

contest 

3. Iweriebor flanked by all subsidiaries 

CEOs and COOs 

4. L-R (front): Chambisse Helder, 

CEO, UBA Mozambique; 

Erebor Franklin; Chioma 

Mang, CEO, UBA Gabon and 

Salami Aliyu, CEO, UBA Chad 

Business Innovation 

Summit in Nairobi 

1. ED/RCEO, Anglophone Africa, 

Oliver Alawuba delivering 

a lecture at the summit in 

Nairobi, Kenya 

2. L-R: MD/CEO, UBA Zambia, 

Emeka Dimanochie; MD/ 

CEO, UBA Uganda, Johnson 

Agoreyo; GMD/CEO, Kennedy 

Uzoka; Alawuba; MD/CEO, 

UBA Tanzania, Peter Makau 

and MD/CEO, UBA Kenya, 

Isaac Mwige at the summit 

1 

2 



UBA wins Most Innovative Bank of the Year 

Director, Independent Newspapers, Adaobi Nwakuche (l), and Managing 

Director, Independent Newspapers, Ted Iwere (r) presenting the award for Most 

Innovative Bank won by UBA Plc to the Divisional Head, Digital and Consumer 

Banking, Yinka Adedeji at the Independent Newspapers Awards, held in Lagos 

UBA Ghana partners Air Peace for collections: 

L-R: COO, UBA Ghana, Adedayo Adeshipo; MD/CEO, UBA Ghana, Abiola 

Bawuah; Nigerian Afro Pop Artiste, KCee; DMD, UBA Ghana, Soni Anwal 

and Franklina G-Ackon, Head, Transport, Corporate Banking, UBA Ghana 

at the partnership flag-off ceremony 

Boutique Hotel officially launches REDTV for Francophone Africa 

1 

Thursday, February 16, 2017, 

marked the official launch of 

RedTV Francophone version 

and the exclusive screening/ 

premier for its first Francophone 

TV series Boutique Hôtel in a 

grand display of excellence 

hosted in the beautiful city of 

Abidjan, Cote d’ Ivoire. 

"Boutique Hotel" features a young 

woman, Lola Durant, played by 

Alexandra Amon, who takes 

over the reins of a hotel once 

run by her widowed mother. 

Without much experience, she 

is faced with unusual staff and a 

rather unusual clientele. 

2 

3 

4 

5 

1. L-R: Minister of African Integration & Ivoirians of the diaspora, Ally Coulibaly; MD, 

UBA Cote d’Ivoire, Sarata Kone; Director, Marketing & Corporate Communications, 

Bola Atta and Minister of Culture & Francophony of Cote d’Ivoire Maurice Bandama 

2. Musical Comedy by African Cabaret 

3. L-R: Movie Director, Marie Amon; Actress, Cycy Nassardine; Director, Marketing & 

Corporate Communications, Bola Atta; Producer/actress, Alexandra Amon; a guest; 

and Actress, Line Jaber 

4. Hip Hop Group, Kiff No Beat thrilling the audience 

5. Fashion Show by J. Art Williams 



REDTV’s Our Best Friend’s Wedding (OBFW) Premieres 

REDTV, our dynamic online lifestyle 

channel, in conjunction with 

The Naked Convos on Sunday, 

January 29, 2017 premiered a 

new web-series titled, ‘Our Best 

Friend’s wedding’. 

The impressive gathering attracted 

a good number of A-list dignitaries 

and business leaders, from 

different industries across Nigeria 

including: the Honourable Minister 

of Information and Culture, Alhaji. 

Lai Mohammed; UBA Chairman, 

Mr. Tony Elumelu; GMD/CEO, Mr. 

Kennedy Uzoka and players in the 

entertainment and film industries. 

L-R: UBA Chairman, Mr. Tony Elumelu; Minister of Information 

and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed; Director, UBA Plc and 

Proprietress of Bridge House College, Mrs. Foluke Abdulrasaq 

and GMD/CEO, Mr. Kennedy Uzoka, at the premiere of 

REDTV’s new web series Our Best Friend’s Wedding 



UBA Launches New Core Values 

UBA’s new Core Values and Corporate 

Statement (the 3 Es: Enterprise, Excellence and 

Execution) were recently launched officially. 

Staff across all business offices and countries of 

operation participated in the launch. 

Nigeria 

Kenya 

Nigeria 

Nigeria 

Tanzania 

Mozambique 

New York 



March 2017 

1 2 

3 4 

5 6 

1. UBA Group partners China Development Bank: L-R: Director, Global 

Financial Institutions, Sola Yomi-Ajayi; UBA Chairman, Tony Elumelu and 

Director, Corporate Bank, Muyiwa Akinyemi during the meeting with China 

Development Bank (CDB) delegation led by Executive Vice President and 

Board Member, Wang Yongsheng 

2. L-R: UBA Chairman, Tony Elumelu with Executive Vice President and Board 

Member, China Development Bank, Wang YongSheng 

3. L-R: Director, Global Financial Institutions, Sola Yomi-Ajayi presenting a 

gift to Katharina Jacoby, Managing Director, Head of International Trade & 

Transaction Banking, Credit Agricole, China 

4. L-R: Dupe Olusola, Head, Embassies & Development Organisations; 

Razak Shittu, Director, Oil and Gas; Wu Guohua, Deputy Director General, 

Global Cooperation Department, Americas & Africa; Sola Yomi-Ajayi; Tony 

Elumelu; Jin LYu, Commissioner, China Development Bank, Republic Office, 

Nigeria; Muyiwa Akinyemi; Sam Nwanze, Director, Finance and Investments 

Heirs Holdings and Obong Idiong, Company Secretary/Legal Adviser, Heirs 

Holdings 

5. UBA Chairman, GMD attend Chief Obasanjo’s birthday: L-R: Chairman of 

Forte Oil Plc, Femi Otedola; UBA Chairman, Tony Elumelu, GMD, Kennedy 

Uzoka and Former DG, Nigerian Economic Summit Group, Frank Nweke 

Jnr. at the 80th birthday celebration of former President of Nigeria, Chief 

Olusegun Obasanjo 

6. UBA delegation meets President Koroma of Sierra Leone: L-R: ED/RCEO, 

Anglophone Africa, Oliver Alawuba; Head, Embassies, Multilaterals & 

Development Organizations Dupe Olusola; President of Sierra Leone, Ernest 

Bai Koroma and GMD, Kennedy Uzoka 


Feature 

Proudly amongst the pack 

By Bola Atta 

The month of March just past, 

witnessed worldwide celebration 

of women on International 

women’s day as well as Mother’s day, 

recognizing the role that women play 

in all societies. We are familiar with 

common expressions such as mother 

land, mother tongue, mother earth… 

women are natural nurturers but even 

as far back as civilization begun, they 

have also been providers of food 

and sustenance for their families. In 

ancient society, many cultures had 

women going out in the morning to 

work and bring food back to their 

families. Working women are not a 

modern phenomenon. The barriers 

between men and women in the work 

force today is fast breaking down and 

the SDG’s have placed emphasis on 

ensuring the world gets to a place of 

equality between men and women. 

We are proud to say that at UBA, 

gender does not pose a barrier, 

neither does being a woman 

provide any advantages over male 

counterparts. Women occupy a 

decent percentage of the executive 

management positions and the 

board has representation of some of 

the most experienced women in the 

continent’s work force. 

We speak to ten of our UBA lionesses 

across the continent to find out 

how they have navigated and how 

they are navigating their careers 

as women, inspiring other women 

and letting them know that yes as a 

woman, you can indeed have it all. 

Emem Usoro 

Regional Director, Lagos Bank 2 

What do you do at UBA? 

As a Group General Manager and Regional Director, I am 

currently responsible for the supervision and co-ordination 

of the overall Business Development of the Lagos 2 Island 

Bank in the Lagos Directorate. My core deliverables include 

Sustainable Revenue Growth, Profitability, Operational 

Efficiency and Balance Sheet Growth. 

What has it been like amongst men, especially as you rose 

to the top? 

Being amongst men has not posed any peculiar challenge 

or conferred me any special benefit on the job. The bank 

is an equal opportunity organization that doesn’t have any 

bias or preference for gender, so opportunities are made 

equally available to both male and female. This institutional 

value has made it possible for me, and I believe most other 

women with leadership role in the bank, to focus on what 

needs to be done and do it well because the bank rewards 

based on performance and loyalty. 

To a very large extent, most men I have met with as I 

progressed in my career in the bank have related with me 

more on the basis of the job and position rather than my 

gender. This has really helped. 

What has helped you stand out the most? 

To mention one quality I would say generally stands me out, 

it will be my result-oriented nature anchored on team spirit. 

• Emem Usoro 

As a naturally amiable and emotive person, I can work 

well with people by persuading and encouraging them to 

overcome their weaknesses without despising and ordering 


Feature 

• Bukola Imoyo 

I used to work in Consulting and 

honestly, at some point, I got burnt out 

and had to re-calibrate my life. 

them around, respecting and not to 

undermine, I also maintain a clear 

focus on priorities. Above all, I am 

always willing to learn by seeking 

counsel and advice from both 

superiors and subordinates. 

What are the advantages of being 

a woman in a system dominated by 

men? 

Hmmm! I really do not see any serious 

advantage. Like you know, women 

don’t get paid more for the same 

job men do neither do they get less 

responsibilities for the same role. As a 

mother, you may suffer some set back 

or delay in your career progression 

as the need to balance both family 

and work can take you off for a 

considerable period. 

That being said, the potential of being 

a role model to other women in a 

male dominated system and proving 

that women can be as competitive as 

men in the workplace are gratifying. 

BUKOLA IMOYO 

Corporate HR Specialist Projects 

What do you do at UBA and how long 

have you been here? 

I’ve been at UBA for about two and 

a half years. I am in charge of HR 

Projects, the most important now 

being the implementation of Sage 

Human Resource application for UBA 

and all its subsidiaries. I also contribute 

to the development of strategies 

for different areas of HR including 

Employee Engagement. 

What informed your decision to work 

in a high demanding profession? 

I guess it is because I am very energetic 

and passionate. I like things that are 

fast-paced, I like variety and I like to 

learn. 

Has the decision affected your 

personal and social life in any way? 

I would be lying if I said it hadn’t. 

But I guess that comes with almost 

everything in life. The important thing 

is to understand your priorities at every 

stage in life and strike a balance. 

Have you had to go the extra mile just 

because you are female to compete 

favourably with your male peers? 

I don’t think so. But I always feel 

confident and powerful. I take it 

that anyone I meet does not know 

what is within me and so I have 

the upper hand to channel what is 

within optimally, which is something 

that would work for anyone actually. 

Having said that, sometimes just being 

the only female in a male dominated 

environment is what makes you to get 

people to see things your own way. 

Being that you are so fashion savvy, 

how did you feel when you were stuck 

in grey and black suits? Did it make 

you feel less feminine? 

Thanks. I don’t think I am that fashion 

savvy, I just try to look good always. 

To be honest, it was quite a shock to 

me. I couldn’t understand the ‘dulling 

down’ that characterized the UBA 

dress code. It was even more sombre 

than the legal garb that I left behind 

years ago, which up until I joined UBA, 

I thought was the height of solemn 

dressing. I was more than happy to 

be part of the team that worked 

on revising the Bank’s Dress Code. I 

didn’t feel less of a woman though, 

that is psychological. It will take more 

than dull clothes for me to feel less of a 

woman if ever I get to that point. 

Christie Chuks-Ngwu 

Acting Chief Security Officer 


have you been in this position? 

I joined the UBA family in June 2008 

as Head, Corporate Security and until 

very recently the Acting Chief Security 

Officer. As CSO, I have oversight 

for Corporate Security, Executive 

Protection, Electronic Security and HSE 

& Fire.I am Responsible for all aspects 

of UBA Security. 

You are in a male dominated industry 

and in a male dominated segment. 

What strengths do you have as a 

woman that have made you successful 

here? 

I was privileged to have started my 

career as a security practitioner in 

a 'gender friendly' Service. The DSS 

offers its operatives the same trainings, 

exposures and does not discriminate. I 

have always seen myself as a security 

officer, not a female security officer. 


Feature 

Have you ever trained in combat and 

do you advice women to do this? 

Yes, trainings in the DSS involves combat 

and advanced combat training for 

body guards. I was a member of the 

Presidential Body Guards' Corps and 

as such had extensive and rigorous 

training in weapon handling and 

unarmed combat. 

You take charge and always seem 

to be in control. Do you have to 

change when you get home and be 

the submissive wife? 

I make concerted efforts to make the 

quick switch from being the officer to 

wife as soon as I get home. I happen 

to be particularly lucky to have a 

husband from a similar background. 

He switches also from officer to 

husband. 

Being in the force, did you ever have 

to defend yourself physically against 

a man? How did you feel about that? 

Yes, very many times and on each 

occasion my unarmed combat skills 

came in very handy. 

Helena Manhenje 

Head, Corporate Services, UBA Mozambique 


have you been in the system? 

I am the Head of Corporate Services 

and the Bank’s Translator. I have been 

with UBA for 5 years. 

What does it feel like to work in a male 

dominated industry? Have you felt 

disadvantaged or privileged? 

It is great to work in this industry. I do 

not feel like that puts me in a position 

of disadvantage at all. I have always 

been able to get what I want from 

my profession and compete with my 

fellow colleagues equally. 

What is your stance about women’s 

rights and equality of the sexes? 

I think that there is a lot of work still to be 

done with regards to women’s rights 

especially mental work because in my 

society women feel disadvantaged 

just because they were born women 

in a so called male dominated society 

and that becomes worse when we add 

the cultural factor to the mix. Quality 

education must be emphasized at 

all times as a tool that will change 

people’s lives, because from there 

will come an openness to the world 

and to other values, cultures and most 

importantly critical thinking, and a 

refusal to conform to pre-established 

norms that were designed to place 

women in a position of disadvantage. 

In Mozambique are women getting 

nearer to equal rights? 

I believe so. Women are much more 

educated, independent and they 

have each other’s backs. Women 

are in business and raising families. 

Women are in positions of power and 

they are successful. 

If God gave you a choice to come 

back to earth and you could choose 

between being a male or a female 

what would you choose and why? 

I would definitely be a female. There is 

so much pain that comes with being 

a woman but there is also a lot of 

joy which I think at the end of the 

day outweighs the pain and struggle. 

Women are strong emotionally, and 

they were blessed with the gift of 

giving life. There is nothing better than 

that. 

• Christie Chuks-Ngwu 

• Helena 

Manhenje 


Feature 

• Marietou Thiam-Seye 

Marietou Thiam-Seye 

Head, Marketing and Corporate Relations, UBA 

Senegal 

What is the Senegalese community 

like for women? Is there discrimination 

like other parts of the world? 

For a long time considered, as inferior 

to man and subject to him, or at least 

as a person who had only to take 

care of her home, the Senegalese 

woman had to obey her parents, 

her husband. Her opinion was almost 

never taken into account. She was not 

consulted prior to making decisions, 

even in matters of concern to her. 

Her main role was not only to look 

after the home but also to ensure the 

sustainability of the family. Although still 

marked by the weight of custom, the 

Senegalese woman seems today to 

emerge gradually from this stereotype 

that has long characterized her. 

Senegal is one of those African 

countries in which women have, 

over the years, placed themselves 

at the forefront of social, political 

and economic life and women's 

associations are flourishing. 

How have you personally made strides 

in a male dominated industry? 

Gender imbalance in business 

decision-making remains a major 

challenge for all states in the world, 

including the socially most advanced 

countries. 

As I grew up, I understood that it 

was necessary to raise both sexes 

together and that being a woman 

you must DARE, you must give yourself 

the strength of your ambitions and it is 

my daily life. 

What would you like to see differently 

for African women in the work force? 

As a woman, I would like to see a 

stronger participation of African 

women in the decision-making 

bodies. We must gradually push to the 

disappearance of all the prejudices 

and archaisms that continue to weigh 

on women, thus preventing them from 

reaching massive levels of leadership. 

Do you think that being a working 

woman hinders the prospects of 

marriage and child bearing? 

NO! Never! We can work, and that 

does not prevent us from looking after 

the husband, the children and the 

house. This is all the more true as some 

women are faced with the obligation 

to contribute to household income, 

hence the importance of work. 

If God gave you a choice to come 

back to earth and you could choose 

between being a male or a female 

what would you choose and why? 

Why want to reborn in another form? 

I am proud of my feminine condition. 

Knowing that woman is the future not 

only of man but of humanity!! 

Morenikeji Omotoso 

Digital Marketing 


I work in Digital Marketing in the 

department of marketing and 

corporate communications at UBA. 

I assist with managing the digital 

platforms of the bank, primarily 

social media platforms and website 

management. 

Growing up in America, what were 

your expectations of working in Africa 

as a woman? 

Before moving to Nigeria, I was 

intrigued at the prospect of working 

in Africa. My perception was that 

Africa, specifically Nigeria, was a 

place where ideas and life changing 

opportunities were developed and 

encouraged. It was a place where 

people were bold and unafraid to 

take professional risks. I was fascinated 

at the fact that emerging adults my 

age were 'moving back' of their own 

volition, rather than being summoned 

by their relatives. I was empowered 

by the stories and conversations I'd 

had with other young women who 

decided to move to Africa to chase 

their dreams, start a family or pursue 

a career. 

Have the expectations been your 

reality? 

My perceptions and expectations 

proved to be reality to a certain 

extent, but things were not as rosy 

as I'd once assumed. As a woman, 

I understand that the climb to the 

top will sometimes be challenging, 

but I know it is attainable. I have 

great examples of women who made 

similar transitions and are making 

huge waves in their respective roles 

on the continent. I figured if they 

could do it, so could I. I expect to 

succeed, because I see these women 

succeeding. While I choose to be 

optimistic about my journey, I'd be 

remiss if I did not mention the truth. 

Unfortunately many people on the 

continent have not yet subscribed 

to the mystique of the 21st century 

woman that is capable of doing 

whatever it is she puts her mind to. I 

am however confident that the more 

women push the boundaries and 

forge on in the pursuit of relentless 

fortitude and success, the sooner it will 

be considered the norm. 

Do you feel advantaged or 

disadvantaged being a woman at 

UBA or is there little difference? 

While there is a difference between 

men and women at UBA, I do not 


Feature 

• Aminat Tunji-Akinwande 

• Morenikeji Omotoso 

feel disadvantaged in anyway. I believe women within the 

banking industry have the unique opportunity to push the 

limits and shatter glass ceilings. My senior female colleagues 

serve as an everyday reminder that with hard work and 

dedication, I too can enter and succeed in spaces that 

are traditionally male dominated. They help validate my 

contributions to the organization. I feel motivated to do 

my very best professionally to one day burst through glass 

ceilings of my own. 

Do you suppose you can have it all? A terrific career, 

marriage and kids and still rise to the top? 

Yes, I believe I can have it all. My 'all' may not look like the 

next persons, but I believe that each person is entitled to 

define what ultimate success is for themselves. Again, I've 

seen women that I respect and revere who in my opinion, 

have it all, and they drive me to pursue my own definition 

of 'all.' Their successes don’t all look the same, but they are 

successes never–the-less. World renowned author Sheryl 

Sandberg sums it up perfectly in her book Lean In. She writes 

that success is not a vertical ladder of consistent progression 

or regression. She says that success is more like a jungle gym. 

There's no formula, there's no map. You do what works for 

you and create your own unique path to the top, or the 

side, or to the point at which you feel. 

Aminat Tunji-Akinwande 

Branch Manager 

What is your position at UBA and how long have you been 

at the bank? 

I am the Business Manager at our 24, Oba Akran Avenue 

and have spent 19yrs in service. 

What to you is the true essence of a woman? 

Being a woman is God's gift that we must all appreciate. 

A woman shows what sharing, loving and caring are all 

about. It is as special as it is complicated. A woman's true 

essence is not measured by what she looks like but by who 

she is as a person. 

Do you have a family? Married with children? If so how 

have you done so well in your career without neglecting 

your family? 

I am happily married to an understanding husband and 

blessed with a lovely son. A woman with a caring and 

understanding husband will do well in any chosen career 

and maintaining some balance has also helped me. 

Do you dream of being the first female CEO at UBA? How 

do you plan to get there? 

Hmm, tough question to answer. I am a lioness and my 

dream is to go as high as possible through hardwork, 

loyalty and commitment. And becoming the CEO of UBA 

is achievable. 


Feature 

• Victoria Ejeckam 

Victoria Ejeckam 



have you been at the bank? 

My name is Victoria Ejeckam, a LIONESS 

and Branch Manager at 97-105 Broad 

Street Lagos. I have been in the bank 

for the past 15 years, precisely since 

July 2001. 

What is the true core of a lioness in 

your opinion? 

A lioness is BOLD, Fearless and does not 

see challenges but, rather opportunity 

in every situation. A lioness is the lead 

hunter for her pride and together 

they accomplish their dexterity with 

precision. Each lioness develops 

precise ability for her role in the 

technique of hunting to achieve the 

prides Goal. I, being a Chief Hunter 

like the lioness in her pride have the 

prowess to lead from the front and 

my quest is to uncover and nurture 

upcoming Lionesses to believe in their 

prowess and innate abilities. “I might 

not know or do everything, but what I 

know, I will do very well” 

There are obviously challenges to 

being a working woman one of which 

includes managing work and children. 

How have you dealt with this? 

I am blessed with a lovely family and a 

very good job that I love. I got married 

early enough and my simple secret 

was to adequately space and plan 

the kids in a way that the older ones 

can effectively mentor and guide 

their younger siblings. This gives me 

more time to focus on job demands 

and other responsibilities. When I am 

home, they have my full attention 

and I closely monitor them. Same 

way, I oversee my work colleagues, 

who are set up in teams to learn 

and achieve more collectively. With 

both important parts of my life set 

up to function, I only look forward to 

enjoying my interactions. 

Tell me about the assets /advantages 

to being a woman and how has that 

helped you? 

Firstly, as a woman and a mother, I 

naturally show empathy towards all 

people I come across. This quality has 

helped me in building a good network 

of people that have supported my 

career. Furthermore, as a woman and 

working in the financial sector, it is a 

tough terrain that requires extra hard 

work for women and that womanly 

instinct of being strong-willed has 

always come to play for me. This has 

kept me focused on my goals with 

a lot of dedication to work, I have 

always achieved expectations. 

Would you come back to the world as 

a woman? 

Oh yes, I would not change a thing, I 

will come back as a woman!!! 

Olubukola Abitoye 


What is your role at UBA and how long 

have you been there? 

I am the Branch Manager of Allen 

• Olubukola Abitoye 

2 Business Office and I have been 

there for 2 years; prior to that I was the 

Branch Manager of University College 

Hospital Business Office, Ibadan for 22 

months. 

During this time have you witnessed 

any barriers to your career progression 

as a woman? 

YES, I have witnessed many challenges 

that ordinarily would engender a 

career change but I have been able 

to overcome them and that is why I am 

still in the industry. The challenges vary 

from building a happy home, being 

successful on the job and building 

good relationships with my customers 

which I consider my assets. 

Home front and career are two 

independent projects that are 

interrelated because of the singular 

factor, i.e. “the person” managing 

both. I have enjoyed God’s grace in 

getting the required ability to manage 

both successfully. 

What is the most difficult situation you 

ever faced as a career woman? 

The most difficult situation was when 

I relocated to Lagos in March 2015 

while my family was in Ibadan. It was 

like a mirage when I finally decided to 

work in Lagos; although, I never lived 

nor worked there. The attraction was 

about two transactions that turned 

around my former BO in Ibadan which 

I got from Lagos and my supervisor saw 

a quality which was latent in the quiet 

town of Ibadan. I saw the inherent 

opportunities that lies in working in 

Lagos and I was prepared to give it 

a try and stop being celebrated as a 

star in Ibadan (local champion). 

I shuttled between Lagos and Ibadan 

for 19 months before my family joined 

me in Lagos. I was faced with the 

hurdle of being a responsible mother 

to my children, a loving wife to my 

husband (even in my absence) and 

at the same time to turn around a 

loss making BO with less than a Billion 

balance sheet. It was indeed a rough 

journey and a challenging situation 

plying the deadly Lagos-Ibadan 

expressway on weekly basis but I 

never lost focus and the reason for my 

relocation. 

Looking back, I am very glad that my 

Business Office makes an average of 

N40m contribution monthly from a loss 

position with a balance sheet size of 

N5bn from less than a Billion. My family 

has also relocated to Lagos, we are all 

together now. 


Feature 

My driving force is a strong 

determination to excel as a woman 

in my career with a high level of 

commitment and dedication; God 

made everything work together for my 

good. I received tremendous support 

from my family, especially my Husband 

who believed in my career path, and 

would do anything in his capacity 

to support my growth, also my Boss 

who motivates and encourages me 

to move on. 

Do you think you can have it all, 

Family, career and be happy too? 

YES, you can have it all. Family, 

work and personal life should be 

complimentary and not conflicting 

with one another. Some are successful 

in their careers but fail in family and 

personal life, whereas some others 

who have a vibrant personal and 

family life are below par at work. Being 

successful in one's sphere of life at the 

cost of the other is not healthy. Family 

happiness and a decent personal life 

are key determinants of a successful 

career; to be a successful career 

woman you must possess the ability to 

manage your home effectively. 

It is a collective responsibility to support 

ourselves in the family and women 

have greater role in cascading these 

to every member of the family. 

My husband identifies opportunities 

and gets prospects for my business, 

my children always pray and are also 

eager to know my progression at work; 

indirectly they are inculcating the habit 

of being successful in whatsoever they 

do in life. God has deposited grace in 

women to multi task themselves but 

it takes a determined and focused 

woman to be successful in all. The 

most important thing is to create a fair 

balance between work and family 

lifestyle. 

If you had to relocate far away without 

your family, what decision would you 

make? 

I have done it before without regret 

and I can still do it again; it is all about 

identifying the inherent opportunities 

in your prospective location and 

clarify if it fits perfectly into your career 

plans. It is a decision that needs to be 

deliberated and agreed upon by the 

entire family. 

NAOMI KAGONE 

Customer Service Officer 


I am currently handling Customer 

Service Experience. Through 

interaction with customers of 

diversified expectations, I have learnt 

great life skills and my relationship 

management has moved to a greater 

level. And I look forward to giving the 

best service ever for there is joy in 

serving. 

Kenyan women are known to be very 

strong on feminism. What is your take 

on this? 

I totally agree on that, besides the 

strong backing by our constitution, 

Kenyan women have devised 

their own mechanism to empower 

themselves especially by going back 

to school at any age, on realization 

that they can be of great value not 

only in the kitchen and dining room but 

also in the boardroom. This is clearly 

represented by strong women like 

Ambassador Amina Muhammed, who 

has made significant contributions to 

Public Sectors and Institutional reforms. 

She is a precise representative of a 

true Kenyan woman and what she 

can be in a conducive environment. 

How realistic is the notion of a female 

Kenyan president in the near future? 

Currently we have high flying 

women in leadership and they have 

demonstrated they can deliver, 

in both elected and nominated 

positions; also we have quite very 

exemplary performers both at National 

Assemblies and County Assemblies. 

The outspoken ones like the leaders of 

political parties such as Martha Karua, 

Charity Ngilu among others have 

exhibited great leadership qualities 

that warrant them to take up the helm 

of leadership of Kenya. 

What are your dreams in your career? 

Are you planning to break glass 

ceilings and have it all? 

Honestly, I plan to break glass ceilings 

and have it all and become the head 

of customer experience in Kenya if 

not in Africa. This is clearly guided by a 

very simple fact that a dream is simply 

the recognition of an opportunity, 

both current and future and asking 

whether there is a better way to 

deliver existing products or services. In 

my experience with both internal and 

external customers, I have learnt that I 

only need the right attitude to tap the 

untapped market segment by offering 

heart to heart customer service which 

is rarely offered and is greatly sort by 

customers at all levels of interaction. 

Women are primarily nurturers, how 

have you used this quality to progress 

in life generally? 

My motherhood journey has been a 

big stepping stone to my nurturing 

capabilities. Nursing my three children 

while at the same time being a career 

woman, wife and a student has been 

quite challenging and at the same 

time exciting and worthwhile. It taught 

me that you must be patient, caring 

and tender to achieve the best 

desired lifetime goals. 

I have also nurtured many young girls 

at close vicinity, this has come out 

in my relationship with my domestic 

house managers where I have ensured 

that any lady that comes on board 

leaves a better and more empowered 

person academically, socially and 

economically. As I strive to nurture 

them I have gotten incredible support 

from them hence playing very well in 

the field of work-life balance. 


Enterprise: the 

success formula 

By Nonso Nduanya 

A 

friend mentioned to me that he 

was helping his uncle register 

a name, Bumbisco & Sons 

Enterprises, for his trade. Funny name 

for a business, I thought, but the word 

“enterprises” stuck, so I asked out of 

curiosity, “why enterprises?” 

If you think of a ‘business’ involved in 

the provision of goods and services to 

consumers when you hear the word 

“enterprise”, you are not far from the 

truth. However, if you give that first 

notion a second thought, you will 

realise that this word connotes an 

even deeper meaning. 

So, I looked up the meaning on 

different reference materials. 

Merriam-Webster defined Enterprise 

as a project or undertaking that is 

very difficult, complicated or daring, 

and as one’s readiness to engage in 

such an undertaking. Dictionary.com 

defined Enterprise as an undertaking 

that requires ingenuity, boldness or 

energy while Businessdictionary.com 

defined it as Entrepreneurial activity, 

especially when accompanied by 

initiative and resourcefulness. 

I realised from these definitions that 

Enterprise is actually a personal 

quality. Yes, it is a quality you possess. 

It is that extraordinary quality that 

makes you go where ordinary people 

fear to go. It is the quality that makes 

you take on ‘impossible’ tasks and 

produce extraordinary results. An 

enterprising person sees opportunities 

in all aspects of life, and dares to take 

them. It is a mind-set. An enterprising 

person is daring, creative and 

disciplined enough to not only see the 

opportunities in everything he does, 

but also seize them. 

This is a quality organisations should 

lookout for in their employees. Not 

surprising, “Enterprise” is the first of 

UBA’s three core values: Enterprise, 

Excellence and Execution. 

Enterprising people see themselves 

as co-owners of their employer’s 

business and execute their tasks 

with the same kind of mind-set. 

Such people own whatever tasks 

you give them. They go the extra 

mile, solve problems, show initiative, 

break barriers and bring innovation 

into their work. 

Furthermore, because employees 

who possess this quality are selfdriven, 

they go out of their way 

to help their organisation achieve 

its goals. Imagine an organisation 

where all the employees possess 

this quality, all the gears of the 

organisation will function with the 

perfection of a Swiss clockwork 

mechanism. The organisation will 

satisfy its customers and ultimately 

meet its goals. It therefore goes 

without saying that this core value of 

UBA is one many other organisations 

will be looking for in their workforce, 

going forward. 

Enterprise is also a quality all 

successful entrepreneurs possess. 

Yes, you must have the courage 

to take on new challenges and 

the tenacity to provide creative 

solutions that will ultimately add 

value in order to succeed as an 

entrepreneur. It therefore goes 

without saying that whether you 

are an employee or an employer, 

enterprise is one quality that is key 

to your success. 

Here are some enterprising Africans 

who have inspired us with their 

success stories: 

Mamadou Saliou Diallo 

is one of the Guinea’s richest 

business men. “Saliou Kenieko”, 

like he is commonly called, is the 

Chairman and GMD of Société 

nouvelle de commerce (Sonoco), a 

group composed of five subsidiaries 

specialized in mill (Les Moulins 

d’Afrique, LMA), transport and logistics 

(AM Transit), metal work (Métal Import), 

construction and real estate (Global 

Investment and Construction, GIC) 

and finance (Nouvelle Compagnie 

d’Investissement, NCI). All of these 

companies represent a 

total of 800 direct 

employees and 

a turnover 

of several 

millions of 

dollars. 

What spurred you into this line of 

business? 

I started at a young age as a bread seller 

on the roads of Conakry. That business 

was actually good enough to convince 

me to go into it. The demand was high 

and once in it, I had a lot of customers. 

I started this business twenty years ago 

with the equivalent of 14,000 euros, 

and now we are at the head of a mill 

that represents more than 25 million 

euros of investment. Moreover we have 

developed the mill’s capacity so as to 

start exporting to sub-regions (Guinea’s 

border countries). 


Cheick Omar 

Doro 

is the Manager 

of CEITP (cabinet 

d’expertise 

Immobilières et d’Etudes 

en Travaux publics) in Burkina Faso. 

Cheick had dreamt of belonging to 

a world of creativity and discovery, 

and wanted to make a difference by 

engaging in the study, monitoring and 

control of civil engineering works. 

His firm, already in its 7th year of 

establishment, is into real estate, 

building and civil engineering, as well 

as interior architecture and public 

works studies. 

What was the most daunting challenge 

at the time you started? 

The beginning was a Chinese puzzle, 

what with finance issues, technical 

references and all. But it is necessary to 

quickly transform these difficulties into 

solutions; to believe in one’s self and in 

the business. We just have to set a goal 

and have the desire to reach it. It is in 

doing this that we will be able to change 

the conditions imposed on us. 

Vicky 

Udomi 

is a Tony 

Elumelu 

Foundation 

(TEF) 2015 

Entrepreneur 

and CEO 

of Kings and 

Queens Integrated 

Enterprises limited, an Agribusiness 

involved in the cultivation of hybrid 

cassava, processing and packaging 

them into vitamin fortified and nutrient 

infused cassava snacks and meals. 

She is a Nigerian. 

How did you raise capital? 

First of all I started from the little I had, 

and looked out for access to funding 

opportunities, I got seed capital through 

the Tony Elumelu Entrepreneurship 

Programme and it took my business to a 

whole new level. 

Daniel Nassa 

also in Burkina Faso, is the head of 

BECADIS (Bureau d’Etude de Calcul et 

de Dimensionnement de Structures), 

a company that is into civil engineering 

and construction. He decided to 

start his business when after working 

at a company renowned in civil engineering 

and architecture for two 

years, he was contacted 

by investors 

for projects, 

and an 

international 

school to 

give courses. 

Is there a perfect time to start a business? 

Yes, because to start a company, you 

need to be sure of three things: the 

idea, the know-how and the financial 

resources. In my case it was essential 

to get some experience in another 

competent company. 

Abel Ng’andu 

is the founder and owner 

of Ng’andu Consulting Ltd 

a very successful 

consulting firm 

in Zambia. 

How did 

you get 

here? 

I was not satisfied 

with working 

for someone. It was not challenging 

enough. I was convinced that I could do 

better on my own. I got to where I am 

today through hard work, having the 

right attitude and perseverance. 

Bukola Olawuyi 

is a Nigerian and 

founder of YT 

International Concept 

Limited, a company 

into exportation of 

cocoa, cashew, ginger 

and groundnut. Bukola is 

also into clearing and forwarding. 

Budi Norbert Mbua 

the Founder and CEO of Next 

Digital Ventures Ltd, is a 26 year old 

Camerounian motivational speaker 

and entrepreneur. Next Digital 

Ventures Ltd is a tech company that 

focuses on Value Added Services 

and Content Aggregation, currently 

working with several mobile operators 

across Africa. He also runs a 

motivation and counselling academy 

called Budi Motivates Academy 

which aims at empowering the youths 

towards self-development and liberation. 

When Budi realised that many 

of his classmates were still without 

employment, it dawned on him that 

self-employment 

was 

probably the 

best way to 

combat 

unemployment. 

Have you ever a 

made a business 

decision you regret? 

I have made tons of business decisions 

I regretted, but somehow they always 

turn out to be a stepping stone to 

greater things. Each time I made bad 

business decisions, it always led to 

disappointments which challenged me 

to do more by either fixing it or stepping 

up my game. Blind trust in a business 

partner once cost me everything and 

helped me draw the line between 

business and emotions. 

How did YT International Concept Ltd 

start? 

I started clearing work with Molhadeen 

International Ltd where I worked for 

5 years. I was so passionate about the 

work. Because of this enthusiasm for 

my work, my wife was ready to 

put her money to bet a success 

on me standing on my own. 

To intensify her undiluted 

belief in me, she gave 

me business registration 

document as a gift to 

start my own business. I 

was really challenged and 

within a week I resigned and 

began on my own. 


Feature 

Joe Wiliams 

is a 30 year-old Ivorian-Vietnamese 

designer and owner of a 

Communications agency, MILC 

Agency and publisher of a magazine, 

MILC magazine, which he describes 

as an African version of Vogue. 

Joe is also an actor. His journey into 

entrepreneurship started in 2012 when 

he returned to Cote d’Ivoire, after 

his studied in France. He observed 

the market for one year and first 

started working as a Communications 

Consultant. He later started J. Art 

Williams, a socially responsible brand 

that his identity. J. Art Williams 

combines Asian silk and traditional 

hand woven textiles from various 

African countries. 

Samuel Bikai and Guy 

Micheal Kingue 

both Camerounians, are 

co-founders of NGEVENTS 

CAMEROUN, a Communication 

firm specialized in reputation 

management, graphic design, 

events management and 

consultancy services. 

Mathus Latevi 

Lawson-Adokpeze 

is CEO of BENINLOGIS, a company 

based in Benin Republic and 

specializing in geolocation 

services. He provides an online 

platform that allows people to 

find businesses and properties 

in selected geographic areas in 

a few clicks. The site boasts of 

more than 25,000 subscribers and 

over 17,000 visits. Mathus is also a 

benefactor of the Tony Elumelu 

Foundation Entrepreneurship 

Programme. 

What is 

the most 

important 

lesson you 

have learnt as 

an entrepreneur? 

I think it would be perseverance! As 

a young entrepreneur operating in 

sub-Saharan Africa, a non-conducive 

business environment, you must be fully 

determined to succeed and passionate 

about your undertakings. When loosing 

hope, just remember that our continent 

is blessed with all the resources required 

to make it rise, be it human or material, 

therefore you have no reason not to 

succeed. 

How did you raise capital to 

start your business? 

This was very difficult. We 

actually started without 

any capital. Our capital was 

our ideas, knowledge and 

contacts. Soon we were 

able to convince somebody 

to solicit our services. From 

there we got other clients. 

How was the business idea birthed? 

The idea came from a bad 

experience. I represented a 

multinational in Benin and I was 

responsible for housing some of 

its employees in the country. It so 

happened that on one occasion I 

had great difficulty finding a place 

for some of the Directors who 

came in. So I started imagining 

an alternative way to do this kind 

of operation quickly and safely. 

We started with real estate but 

gradually extended to the other 

sectors. 

Youssouf Rahma Amane 

is a Chadian consultant in marketing. He is 

a serial entrepreneur and runs a marketing 

firm, IBC Chad and a centre for capacity 

building, ITCR. Youssouf believes that 

observing his direct environment is at the 

root of all his initiatives, because “with a little 

concentration one always gets to detect 

explicit or implicit needs not adequately met.” 

What have you learnt as an 

entrepreneur? 

Be creative in the face of all the 

obstacles that may arise along the 

way. Always think carefully before 

acting. Establish the right team and 

as much as possible retain all the 

members of the team. 


How to be a 

true brand 

ambassador 

By Babs Olugbemi 

One of my driving desires is to 

look back when I am 70 and 

see how much I contributed 

to some brands as employee. I want 

to have the good feelings of being 

an ambassador and a brand loyalist. 

I recently came across a prospective 

customer who was so loyal to his 

bank and difficult to convert because 

the bank was the customer’s former 

employer. His loyalty touched me. 

In organisations, the most successful 

employees are those not necessarily 

with the best of skills but who are 

rightly connected to the objectives 

of the company. Good company 

ambassadors are people who play 

their roles and portray themselves as 

the owners of the organisation. They 

imbibe and live the company core 

values, find avenues to change things 

and represent the brand positively all 

the time. 

Being an ambassador of your 

company benefits you and your 

career in so many ways. Here are 

a three attributes of a true brand 

ambassador. 

Contagious Loyalty: You cannot be a 

good ambassador for a company you 

do not love and accept its core value. 

You must live the company’s core 

values, love the products and accept 

the leadership of the company. If you 

love the company, you will promote 

the brand everywhere, anytime. One 

of the ways to develop infectious 

loyalty is to avoid complaining about 

your employer. Instead, do all you can 

to improve or change things. At every 

engagement opportunity, seek how 

the brand can be better and not how 

you could benefit. Your loyalty must 

be strong to the extent of infecting 

others with your level of passion and 

belief in the company’s mission. Thus, 

you must think and act like the owner 

of the brand. 

Brand Knowledge: Every entity is 

unique. Some call this internal workings 

or culture. You must have the total 

knowledge of how things work and 

how emotions influence decision 

to be an effective ambassador. 

You must know the products, the 

processes and how best to manage 

the decision makers in the best interest 

of the company. Your knowledge of 

the brand will help you in playing the 

role of a change agent and creating 

a circle of influence. Once again, 

let your action be geared toward 

the benefits to the brand and not to 

you. Being an ambassador is about 

all the extra things you can do for 

the company. The knowledge of the 

products and internal workings will 

enable you to represent the company 

in any capacity. 

Profession Expression: What you 

say about competition is as important 

as what you say about your brand. 

In the process of representing the 

brand you work for or love, don’t 

“de-market” others. I am a UBA and 

industry ambassador and when faced 

with questions about competition, I 

often reaffirm the fact that no bank will 

die while selling my UBA. This has given 

me a professional image of someone 

who has the industry in mind. Your 

professional expression cuts across 

different spheres of life. The way you 

appear outside work, your utterances 

with colleagues and customers are 

part of the judgement metrics for 

assessing your brand loyalty. 


Feature 

Can You handle the six types of 

people you meet daily? 

By Judith Umunna 

According to psychologists, based 

on temperaments, there are four 

kinds of people on earth. But 

when behaviours and characters are 

in play, you can meet a thousand and 

one different kinds, all in one day. 

I walked into a restaurant one day and 

met the waitress crying, when I asked 

her why, she said a customer came in 

and placed an order and she mixed it 

up, he got angry, refused to pay, asked 

that she pay and be sacked as well. 

Now I don’t know the man’s previous 

experience with her but I’d always had 

excellent service from her so I decided 

to pay. 

Personally and professionally, you need 

to recognise that people/customers 

are the backbone of your life/business 

and knowing and understanding them 

is the overarching rule of successful 

individuals/companies. 

But just how much do you know about 

people and your customers? To get the 

best answer to this question, we need to 

break down categories of people you’ll 

meet into 6 types: 

2THE AGGRESSIVE/IRRITABLE: 

They may be really stressed or 

just have an aggressive/irritable 

personality. They are reasonably 

choosy about everything. They 

want you to talk, act and behave in 

a certain way when addressing them. 

They are quite loyal and consistent 

and can give you good business if you 

consistently prove your worth to them. 

Advice: Be patient and knowledgeable 

because a few mistakes will send them 

packing. 

3THE IMPULSIVE/INDECISIVE: 

With them, you may never know where 

you stand. They are difficult to convince 

as customers as they want to do business 

in urge or caprice. They have no product 

in mind and just want to buy what they find 

good and productive at the time. There’s a high 

probability of getting huge sales from this group. 

Advice: You need patience and a very good 

knowledge of your products. 

5THE ONES WHO KNOW 

AND TALK A LOT: 

They know and say 

a lot. They can keep 

you talking for hours. 

Advice: Never start an 

argument with them; subtly 

steer the conversation to what 

they came to do. 

1THE FRIENDLY AND LOYAL: 

We all want to meet them; they 

are the customers we want to 

have. They are nice no matter 

the type of service you offer. 

They are patient, kind and believe 

in you and your brand. They 

promote more sales 

and profit as they are 

the ones that are 

completely satisfied. 

Advice: You should 

keep them at all 

costs. 

4THE DETACHED/INDIFFERENT: 

They lack loyalty. They see you as 

someone who can sometimes 

help them. As Customers, they are 

reasonably happy but have no buy-in. 

Advice: You have to work hard to build on the 

relationship they have created. 

6THE WANDERERS: 

They wander from 

place-to-place 

and can have 

mischievous motives. 

Advice: If you are asked 

a weird question like “Do 

you have a security alarm 

here?” My dear, find a way 

to discharge them! 

Remember perception is 

everything. Never underrate 

anyone. Always smile! 


The Banker’s guide to 

a stress-free life 

By Sunday Onwuemele 

should grow as your salary grows, and 

since it is invested for you by a fund 

manager, you earn income which is 

also capitalized. 

Cultivate a good savings 

culture: 

However hard it might be, save. 

Saving requires serious discipline and 

sacrifices. As long as the elementary 

principle of insatiability of human wants 

in Economics is still valid, one’s wants 

would always outweigh one’s income. 

No one’s salary is enough. If your 

salary is increased today, you would 

only appreciate your management 

that month. The second month, your 

expenses would adjust in response to 

the increase in your salary. However, 

if your salary is slashed down, you will 

still cope. It might take time but your 

expenses would find a way of adjusting 

to the decrease in the income. 

So why don’t you further cut down 

your salary by additional 20% and put 

into your recurrent savings account. 

Any increase in your salary should 

never be viewed as an increase in 

income, rather as an increase in 

savings. Transfer such increase, if 

possible, in entirety to your savings. 

Plan exit at entry: 

The day you take up a pay job should 

be the day you sit down to plan 

your exit from the job. By this, I mean 

you should create your own personal 

pension fund allowance. Do this by 

discounting your proposed monthly 

take-home pay by at least 10% (it 

could be more). For instance, if your 

monthly salary is N80,000 simply 

assume that your take-home pay is 

90% of N80,000.00 which is N72,000. 

The balance of N8,000 (10%) should 

be transferred to your personal 

pension fund account on a monthly 

basis. 

Ensure the funds are not accessible 

to you, and invest it with a long-term 

fund manager. Your contribution 

Avoid credit like a plague: 

To the best of your ability, avoid 

spending what you would have 

tomorrow today. Do not make the 

credit card your means of livelihood. 

This is simply an indication that 

you are living above your means. 

Where future expectation fail, credit 

obtained against them would put you 

under pressure. If you must take loan, 

credit card or any other form of credit, 

use them for an income-generating 

venture. 

If a commercial bank is offering me 

a personal loan at 23% per annum 

and I have a secured investment 

opportunity that would fetch me 5% 

per month, it wouldn’t make sense 


Feature 

to refuse such a loan simply because 

I do not want to owe. I would be a 

bad decision maker if I refuse to take 

a loan to acquire a landed property 

which I know if I am unable to repay, I 

could dispose the property at a profit 

and pay up the indebtedness. What I 

am saying is that credit must be used 

for what would yield income more 

than the cost of the credit. 

Love your job: 

There are millions of better jobs outside, 

but you do not have them. The job you 

have now deserves your best input. 

You must give all the commitment 

and attention you have to it. “If a 

man pays you, be loyal to him” ensure 

that you earn your pay. As long as 

you have not gotten another job, be 

diligent in the one that you do now. 

It is said that “a man who is diligent 

in his work shall sit among princes”. 

When you love your job, you would be 

happy doing what you do. 

Value relationships: 

Talent is not enough. This is the title 

of a very interesting book by John 

Maxwell. Compliment your talent and 

nourish the good relationships you 

build. Allow no relationship to go sour. 

Give gifts when necessary to massage 

your relationships. Every successful 

person is so successful not because 

of his professionalism, but because of 

his positive attitude towards people. 

Those you meet today might be your 

helpers of tomorrow. 

Have a life: 

Do not limit your existence to the 

confines of your bank and your family. 

Create fun for yourself. Take time 

out to see other parts of the world. 

Take advantage of your holiday to 

visit places (please do not borrow to 

do this). Eat good food, sleep well, 

exercise. Give yourself, and your loved 

ones a good treat sometime. 

Have options: 

The fact that you have a well-paying 

job does not mean you cannot build 

a bank of business ideas. It does not 

even mean you can not establish 

businesses that could generate 

income as long as the management 

of such would not affect your banking 

Job. Have income from other sources 

for this is the key that opens the door 

of financial breakthrough. Go for 

world class courses and certificates 

that would increase your labour 

market worth. Nurture and develop 

your natural talents. 

Lighten up 

your mood… 


Keeping your ‘hustle’ tight is no joke. Things may not 

always work out as planned, annoying incidents may 

occur occasionally, and a host of other things could take 

away your cheer in the course of the day. Here are a few 

things you can do to lighten up your mood. 

Play music: 

Create a playlist of your favourite songs, press play and 

let the music blast you away. 

Watch a funny movie: 

Go to the cinema or go online. Watch a movie on Netflix 

for a token or watch free ones on YouTube. 

Do some exercise: 

You don’t need a gym subscription to exercise. Take a 

walk down the street, cycle, skip, play soccer, tennis, golf 

or whatever makes you happy. 

Play a game on your phone: 

You think it’s childish to play games? Try one of the millions 

of free or paid online games; pray you don’t get hooked 

when you find yourself on a winning streak. 

Take a nap: 

Nothing beats a refreshed mind when it comes to tackling 

problems. A 10 minute nap can do wonders for you, 

resuscitating and rejuvenating you for the tasks ahead. 

Read a book: 

Sleep is good but books are better, says George R Martin. 

Reading is a great way to lighten your mood while also 

enriching your knowledge base. 


Health 

7 Daily Routines That 

Keep You Healthy 

By Dr Kazeem Akano* 

Love them or hate them, routines 

are essential to maintaining good 

health while creating the resilience 

and positivity we need to navigate life 

successfully. 

Surely we all know what to do? Not 

necessarily…When growing up, there 

was a dearth of reliable information 

on what constituted a good lifestyle 

choice. Everything we learned was 

hear-say, courtesy of an old wivestale 

and if you were lucky, from the 

family doctor. Today, we know so 

much more now about wellness and 

preventive medicine that it is easier to 

make positive life changes. 

The downside of having all this 

information at your fingers tips is that 

there is too much information (if such 

a thing exists). To help, we’ve decided 

to go through the rigorous process of 

pulling these micro habits together in 

one place on your behalf. 

Here are seven helpful routines that 

can be easily adopted that will surely 

improve your health status. They’re 

simple, practical and there’s no 

reason why you shouldn’t make these 

part of your life. 

1. Start your day with a positive 

affirmation about yourself. 

The way you view yourself and your 

life in the morning sets the stage for 

the rest of the day. Tell yourself: “My 

life is beautiful and I have plenty of 

opportunities to succeed and be 

happy,” “I am capable, deserving, 

and ready to create an amazing life 

for myself and my loved ones,” or, 

“I’m proud of my body and I deserve 

to treat all of myself with love and 

kindness.” Changing your internal 

dialogue through positive affirmations 

is a fundamental part of having a 

clean bill of mental health. 

2. Get in a workout 

Exercise keeps your brain fluid, 

increases your productivity and 

generally sets you in a positive 

mood. Always aim to do at least 

a 30-minute, high intensity workout 

every day although a mini-workout 

within your compound is better than 

nothing. It’s also advisable to follow 

up your workout with a sugar-free 

drink that includes amino acids and 

antioxidants; these will aid energy, 

exercise recovery, insulin balance, 

and cellular repair. 

3. Floss your teeth 

Flossing cleans those tight spaces in 

your teeth and the gap at their base. 

These are the places that a toothbrush 

can’t reach. A healthy mouth isn’t the 

only reason to floss every day. Medical 

research has proven the bacteria that 

flourish in an unhealthy mouth can 

lead to systemic problems like heart 


Health 

disease, diabetes and respiratory illness. It may look painful 

and awkward, but with practice and a commitment to 

doing it every day, the floss kit will soon be the first thing on 

subsequent shopping lists in no time. 

4. Add one additional veggie to your meal 

Vegetables are one food source that will never fall out of 

fashion. They supply you with energy, nourish your body 

with nutrients, help kick start other healthy eating habits 

and help you eat less as they are very filling while being 

naturally low in calories. If you are more of a meat and 

carbohydrates person, pick one meal every day this week, 

and think of how you can up your intake of vegetables. 

Adding vegetables to your diet doesn’t have to be arduous 

– it can be as simple as add two tomatoes to your omelette 

or having steamer ugwu with your rice. 

5. Drink water 

Drinking about 2 litres of water a day is an awesome habit to 

start and maintain. Water fires up your metabolism, hydrates 

you, flushes out toxins, gives your brain a boost all while 

helping you eat less. In addition, experts say water can 

increase your life expectancy. 

6. Stretch during the day 

We’re not asking you to roll out a yoga mat in the middle 

of the office floor but simple stretches done throughout the 

day can go a long way in terms of loosening muscles. Arm 

lifting, waist stretching, neck rotations and walking to your 

colleague’s desk instead of sending an email are all help. 

Stretching increases your blood flow, mobilises your joints 

and daily freshen up your mind. It’s to this effect that we 

have our weekly Deskercise videos to help you with light 

stretches by your desk 

7. Get enough sleep. 

A good night’s sleep is healing in so many ways. Not only do 

you feel rested, but a full night’s sleep also helps maintain 

a healthy weight size, lightens your mood, and significantly 

reduces your chances of having health issues. 

If you’re not getting enough sleep and find yourself fatigued 

during the day, you need to move up your bedtime even if 

it means leaving a project undone. You’ll have more energy 

the next day and the project will be done in no time. 

There you have it folks! Inculcate these routines into your 

daily living and you’re well on your way to a healthier, fuller 

life. 

*Dr Kazeem Akano manages the Client Quality Assurance 

and Provider Education & Engagement at Avon HMO. 


Fashion 

Buy African 

In recent times, there have been ongoing campaigns to buy locally produced goods. So why is it important for us 

to patronize our own locally made goods? In the current economic situation, it makes no sense to spend money 

buying FX so you can order things from the UK and the U.S just because we seem to have the perception that goods 

(especially clothes, cosmetics and household items) produced overseas are superior to ours, when we can ‘buy African’ 

and improve our economy as this makes the currency stronger and also supports local industries. 

NIGERIA 

By Funlola Obe 

Picture: randrluxury.com 

For those of us who are used to 

ordering things from abroad and are 

not used to buying things here in 

Nigeria, here are a few of my favourite 

Nigerian brands who produce their 

goods locally with superior quality (Be 

warned, this article is mainly about 

clothes and makeup). 

MAJU 

Maju is a womenswear brand located 

in Dolphin Estate, Ikoyi and online 

at www.shopmaju.com. With very 

affordable prices ranging from N5,000 

to about N15,000, they have tops, 

skirts, trousers, dresses, shoes and bags 

to keep you looking stylish and trendy. 

Think of it as your Nigerian answer to 

ASOS. 

LUXE SPACES 

A relatively new interior design and 

furniture company, Luxe spaces is fast 

becoming a favorite for affordable 

furniture and household items. With 

the ability to create custom furniture 

designs (couches, tables, beds, desks, 

wardrobes, rugs, throw pillows, you 

name it) , you end up with furniture 

that is not only innovative but also 

unique as well (for those of us who 

hate to have things ‘everyone else’ 

has). Check them out at www. 

luxespacesng.wordpress.com 

SLIPPERS BY KENE 

SBK is an initiative to promote the 

development of the local (Nigerian) 

industry, by using locally sourced 

materials and workmanship, to 

provide bespoke handcrafted slippers 

and sandals. I got a pair as a gift from 

my cousin for being a bridesmaid at 

her wedding and they were super 

comfortable and looked good as 

well. And as an added reason to 

patronize them, the CEO (Kene Rapu), 

is also a Tony Elumelu Foundation 

entrepreneur. www.kenerapu.com 

R&R 

R & R is a skincare company which 

produces handmade skin care 

products using 100% natural local 

ingredients, especially Shea Butter. 

Their Shea Luxury body oil is especially 

popular as it helps with clearing stretch 

marks and spots (I like to mix it in with 

my usual body lotion to prevent my skin 

looking dry and ashy). They also make 

great Shea Butter Soaps, Liquid & Solid 

Black Soaps, LipBalms, Coconut Oil, 

Baobab Oil and Container Candles. 

www.randrluxury.com 

YILI 

Yili Footwear is an affordable footwear 

brand inspired by colors, textures, 

culture, and travels. All the styles have 

a personal inspiration and story behind 

it. The sandals are colorful without 

being obnoxiously loud and are also 

very comfortable. 

Picture: shopmaju.com 

GREY PROJECTS 

Grey is one of the few Nigerian 

designers who offer chic everyday 

fashion staples at reasonable prices. 

In fact, their mission is to ‘make clothes 

you wear every day as it’s what you 

live your life in’. So if you’re looking for 

fashionable but comfortable clothes, 

Grey is the designer for you. www. 

greyinc.blogspot.com 


Fashion 

ICONOLA 

Iconola is a Nigerian ready to wear fashion brand that 

specializes in making clothes with Ankara. Seen on celebrities 

like Zainab Balogun and DJ cuppy, Iconola is rising in the 

fashion industry and with affordable prices it’s not hard to 

understand why. www.iconola.com 

Picture: iconolabrand.com 

COTE D’IVOIRE 

By Ama Tanoh 

IVORY BLUE 

Augur-Industries created by Ivorian entrepreneur, André 

BRAUD-MENSAH, produces espresso capsules entirely made 

in Cote d’Ivoire. The beans are grown in Man, the western 

part of the country because of its climate. Ivory Blue makes 

coffee accessible to all Ivoirians, regardless of their financial 

status and contribute to the local economy. 

Picture: L.E Creations 

L.E CREATIONS 

This brand is a reflection of designer, Liliane ESTIEVENART, a 

mix of Africa and Europe. She first offered African flavored 

bags made of materials such as jute, leather, and wax. The 

brand rapidly grew popular and is now offering clothing, 

accessories, and housing items. L.E CREATIONS is becoming 

popular overseas and was recently featured in London 

Fashion Week. 

Picture: Ivory Blue 

NACKISSA 

This brand got a prize for the best collection by Cote d’Ivoire 

Fashion Top 10. The designer Isabelle NACKISSA uses a lot 

of African fabrics and makes sure her clothes are easy-to 

wear. This brand is young, vibrant and refreshingly colorful! 

NATURE & TRADITIONS 

This brands offers natural products for black women. 

Sandrine ASSOUAN masters the art of cosmetics as she 

holds a degree in Chemical engineering obtained in 

Lausanne, Switzerland. She uses local products to develop 

the local economy and embrace our culture. The basis for 

her products are shea butter, cocoa butter, and mangoe 

butter. 

Picture: Nackissa 


My Quick 

Fix Meal 

By Mariam Mohammed 

The Satisfaction of hunger is 

a worthy pursuit… Let me take 

you through one of my hunger 

satisfaction journeys. 

Errrrm, before I continue, I will like to 

mention that I'm a foodie… small-sized 

hottie! Oh yes… and who loves to 

cook but does not eat much. Hehehe. 

The best gift I could give you is my 

food or the recipe because I am 

giving you from my heart…yup that’s 

how much I love to cook. 


Food 

My 10-minute quick fix meal saved a 

life when all hope seemed lost. Yes, 

I checked all around the house for 

what to cook but didn’t find anything 

interesting. I was about to take the 

cereal when I just remembered the 

couscous in my hamper basket. 

Couscous is a traditional food from 

Northern African cultures (…forgot 

to mention that I have this northern 

thing in me, cos’ I grew up there). 

The original name is derived from the 

Berber seksu or kesksu, meaning “well 

rolled”, “well formed”, or “rounded”. 

Couscous is made from semolina, 

wheat’s finest product. Couscous is 

obtained by coarsely grinding the 

heart of robust wheat. Originating 

from the wheat’s inner seed, and 

containing all the rich goodness and 

protein of the wheat gem. 

Couscous has a wide variety of 

health benefits, including the ability 

to prevent certain cancers, increase 

heart health, prevent bacterial and 

viral infections, promote normal 

metabolism throughout the body’s 

systems. It is known to also control 

fluid levels in the body, improve 

digestion, help weight loss efforts, 

heal wounds, build muscles, and 

boosting the immune system. This is 

sure a vast span of derivable benefits 

from it. 

It is a good alternative to Rice. 

So, I will share my yummy 10 minutesrecipe 

with you. It is 10 minutes 

because I had my stock and diced 

vegetable in the fridge already. If 

not it could take a little longer than 

10 minutes. 

Ingredients: 

• ¾-1 cup couscous 

• Chicken breast – cut into small 

chunks 

• 2 small carrots – cut into cubes 

• 1 small onion – blended or thinly 

chopped 

• 1 green pepper– cut into cubes 

• 2 bell pepper / atarodo – cut into 

tiny pieces 

• A finger chunk of ground ginger 

or ginger powder 

• Seasoning cube or powder 

• 3 tablespoons of oil 

• A knob of butter – optional 

• Salt and pepper to taste 

• Curry 

• 2-3 cups of water 

Method: 

1. Marinate the chicken breast with 

the onions, ginger, curry and 

seasonings and leave to tender/ 

cook. Meanwhile, put your 

couscous in a deep bowl. 

2. Ensure you have enough stock 

and add more water because 

you need that watery stock. Also, 

the stock should be tasty enough 

to ensure it infuses well with the 

couscous. 

3. Once the chicken is done, Sieve 

the stock and pour the boiling 

stock into the couscous, the stock 

shouldn’t be too much so the 

couscous doesn’t become soggy. 

The stock should just be enough 

to cover the top of the couscous 

and cover for about 5 minutes. The 

stock will definitely penetrate to 

the bottom of the couscous if it is as 

watery as I mentioned, otherwise 

you may end up with uncooked 

couscous at the bottom. 

4. Put a frying pan on fire and add 

the oil. 

5. Fry the diced pepper 

6. Stir fry the chicken and the diced 

carrot and green pepper 

7. Add little seasoning, putting in mind 

the stock added to the couscous is 

seasoned already 

8. Fluff up the couscous with a fork 

9. Pour the couscous into the frying 

pan and stir fry with the carrots, 

bell pepper, green pepper and 

chicken, mix well and serve. 


Books 

The Books 

We Like 

By Kayode Olowoyeye 

Enterprising 

Stories 

Know Your Worth: Stop 

Thinking, Start Doing 

By NK Sondhi, Vibha Malhotra 

The secret behind the success of 

most of the people is not what they 

do, but how they do it! 

This book discusses the life-changing 

concepts through storytelling. You 

would find yourself closely connected 

to these stories. They will encourage 

you to explore your own potential to 

inspire you, and to achieve your real 

worth. This book will also help you to 

understand the traits that keep you 

from achieving your dreams. The 

book lays down a process to help 

you emerge from the clutches of 

negativity and develop a positive 

approach towards life. 

The Ultimate Stress-Free 

Productivity Secrets 

By Manikanta Belde 

You may have come across several 

productivity guides, what is different 

about this one? 

The Ultimate Stress-Free Productivity 

Secrets will guide you through innovative 

productivity strategies that would 

enhance your time management 

abilities. It will also transform your 

regular life into an exciting life full of 

hopes, success, and good relations. 

All In: How Women 

Entrepreneurs Can Think 

Bigger, Build Sustainable 

Businesses, and Change the 

World 

By Stephanie Breedlove 

Stephanie Breedlove took a 

leap of faith, left the corporate 

world, and answered the call of 

entrepreneurship. Over the next few 

years she built a thriving business 

while simultaneously raising two 

young children, eventually selling her 

start-up for more than $50 million. 

Breedlove outlines the HOWs and 

WHYs behind the decisions that led 

her towards success. Her inspiring 

message empowers readers to be all 

they are called to be, to set the bar 

higher, and to grow businesses with 

economic impact and power. 

Source: http://www.goodreads.com 


Movies 

Must-See 

SERIES ON REDTV 

By Kayode Olowoyeye 

BOUTIQUE HOTEL 

(Francophone Online TV Show subtitled in English) 

Lola has never worked in the hotel business 

before. Her mother wants to devote herself 

to her farms and plantations, and prefers that 

Lola manages this family property that remains 

to them. Lola hesitates to accept as she feels 

unable to manage this hotel and the staff are 

rather strange. 

This is a hotel residence like no other and the 

people in it will keep you laughing and coming 

back for more. 

HERE AND NOW 

The Adventures of TASA 

Discover and explore the world of four 

daring, young, beautiful, savvy and 

intelligent ladies who have been friends 

since college – a foodie, an artsy one, 

a diva and a music head. Reality TV like 

you’ve never seen it before! Share in the 

energy and experience the spell-binding 

conversations. 

Here and Now: The Adventures of TASA is 

a non-stop crazy roller-coaster ride that 

will leave you wanting MORE! 

OUR BEST FRIEND’S 

WEDDING (OBFW) 

EXCLUSIVES 

A special premium interview show, spotlighting A-list celebrities and 

personalities who have excelled and are indeed excelling in Africa. 

Our Best Friend’s Wedding is a romantic 

dramedy about a young man who 

panics and buys an engagement ring on 

a whim. He recruits his two female best 

friends to help him go through a list of 

potential candidates and sets off a series 

of events that leads to a wedding. The 

series, which was launched on REDTV on 

January 26, 2017 stars Adebola ‘Illrymz’ 

Olowu, Oreka Godis, Gbemi Olateru- 

Olagbegi, Chris Attoh, Timi Charles- 

Fadipe, Unamka Marycolette, Yewande 

Lawal, Sarah Boulos and Theo Lawson. 

Subscribe to REDTV on YouTube or visit www.itsred.tv for more. 


POETRY & arts 

When words have done their best 

And the impact done their worst 

When remembering is painful 

But forgetting is doubtful 

So sure one minute, never doubting 

But a shock the next minute, 

Constantly wavering 

Every attempt to mend the wrong 

Every mistake ever wrought 

Every attempt to amend the words 

Every word spoken in fury 

Every syllable uttered in wrath 

Every breath taken in grief 

Every exchange made in furious 

desperation 

Then the walls are built 

In anger, in fury, with wrath 

The bridges are broken 

In silence, in disappointment, in grief 

and in anguish 

The abyss is formed, the chasm 

widened 

No more familiar 

No more routine 

No more assumptions 

No more my friend 

Never thought it would be like this 

Never thought it would come to this 

Never thought you would be like this 

This stranger, my friend, 

Nothing changes 

It still remains the same 

Friendship is broken. 

Forever. 

‘Pain of Beauty’ by Nduka Omeife (Watercolour, 2016). 

Temptation 

By Moshood Azeez 

Temptation 

And infatuation replaced love 

Days after days in winter 

Nights after nights in summer 

Colours of days 

Fragrances of Nights 

Time after time 

We are overwhelmed 

Sexiness trumps beauty 

Lusts over character 

Materials over immaterials 

Heart over soul 

Temptation is charming 

Lust is never thoughtful 

And, all in all 

Seclusion supersedes interaction 

~How alluring temptation can be~ 

Interaction supersedes seclusion 

And, all in all 

Thoughtful never is lust 

Charming is temptation 

Soul over heart 

Immaterials over materials 

Character over lust 

Beauty trumps sexiness 

Overwhelmed are we 

Time after time 

Nights of fragrances 

Days of colours 

Summer in nights after nights 

Winter in days after days 

Love replaced infatuation and 

Temptation 

Nothing changes 

By Bertha Appiah-Gyapong 

It all remains the same 

When trust has been broken 

And feelings hurt 

When words have been spoken 

And nothing left unsaid 

Something to Mind 

By Ayomipo Ajayi 

Defying all definition 

Defining all recognition 

Against all odd, against other muse 

Against all works and against all fuse 

This is my mirror 

This is my form 

This is my bone 

This is my throne 

The place where I get my light 

Yet a place I see the dark 

A place with all my wrong 

Yet a place with all my right 

Just in between, there is no work. 

A placed with all my doubt, 

Yet a place with all my trust, 

Nothing really happens until there is 

a thrust. 

A place with all my faith, 

Yet a place with all my fear 

As far as you can see, that’s who you 

are. 

A place with all my tears, 

Yet a place with all my smile, 

Being happy is in its self; that is what 

it is. 

A place filled with all my worries, 


POETRY & arts 

Yet a place filled with all my comfort, 

Nothing brings it low until it starts to 

gear. 

A place with all my sorrow, 

Yet a place with all my joy 

The place where I do the worst 

But the closing and lining of some 

best 

I have it all laid out for history but till 

done 

Can be the imprisonment of life for 

life 

It is the center that gathers my 5 lines 

and the 6TH, 

Yet the center of judgment and fate 

if I do not deceive; 

An inner world of good and ill. 

A larger world of muse and feel 

The only place where winning ever 

starts 

The only place where losing begins 

If there is ever something to mind 

I think that is; my mind. 

It hold my position and further steps. 

And once again I worry. 

I worry because even though we won 

the battle against bad leadership 

we are now faced with a far bigger 

problem, ‘recession’. 

They say though that without hope 

we are nothing. 

So I ask, if we do not believe, do we 

at least hope? 

Do you? 

Ololufe 

By Moshood Azeez 

I am Ololufe, the prince of love! 

Husband-In-Chief among women: 

Last son of Ifelade, mother of Love 

I was conceived before the first man 

Birthed in terrestrial mysteries 

In my own sacred abode, 

We dine like there’s no tomorrow 

With our hands, we eat 

Through our noses, we sneeze 

No anomalies, all is perfect! 

I am Ololufe, a rootless stone 

Firm, solid and unwavering 

The Balogun-General of love, 

That knows his strength in prime, 

Love’s frailties are clear before me, 

They are laid bare and open 

I’ve been with him since inception, 

Before the lands, seas and air 

Were spoken into existence 

As ancient as his days, so I am! 

I am Ololufe, a multi-faced being 

A soothing relief to some, 

A flaming sword, to others 

People of the unending crossroads 

Dance to the sound of the bata 

drum! 

As the oju oro surfaces the stream, 

As the osibata lives above the water 

I’ll ever be above my adversaries 

Love will always triumph 

It is an eternal code! 

Our Nation Today 

By Ewulluh Ogonna 

Do we still believe? 

Do we still have faith in our father 

land? 

Many have given up hope. 

Have you? 

A lot more have gone as far as saying 

‘nothing good can ever come out of 

this country’. 

Do you agree with them? 

I turn around and all I hear is 

recession. 

All around me everyone talks 

recession. 

Recession….a word that has become 

our reality. 

A reality we mostly blame on our 

current leaders. 

We fault them. 

We say before them our country was 

doing well. 

Were we? 

Can we actually say the current 

government brought this upon us? 

Can we in all honesty, without 

sentiment agree with this? 

Because the fact remains I am a 

Nigerian and I feel as well as you. 

So I ask again, do we really believe 

that the problems of our nation arose 

with the current government? 

I say to you though in a voice that 

rings without sentiment nor religious 

beliefs, before now, for 5 years we 

lived without direction. 

Drifting. 

Ruled by a leader who had no actual 

knowledge of leadership. 

And for the first time in my life I 

worried for our nation. 

‘Mama Iyabo’ by Nonso Nduanya (Charcoal and Pastel, 2015). 


Humour 

Management Lessons 


Culled from www.tickld.com 

Lesson 1 

Lesson 2: 

Lesson 4: 

A sales rep, an administration clerk, 

and the manager are walking to 

lunch when they find an antique 

oil lamp. 

They rub it and a Genie comes 

out. The Genie says, ‘I’ll give each 

of you just one wish.’ 

‘Me first! Me first!’ says the 

admin clerk. ‘I want to be in the 

Bahamas, driving a speedboat, 

without a care in the world.’ 

Puff! She’s gone. 

‘Me next! Me next!’ says the 

sales rep. ‘I want to be in Hawaii, 

relaxing on the beach with my 

personal masseuse, an endless 

supply of Pina Coladas and the 

love of my life.’ 

Puff! He’s gone. 

‘OK, you’re up,’ the Genie says 

to the manager. The manager 

says, ‘I want those two back in 

the office after lunch.’ 

Moral of 

the story: 

Always let 

your boss 

have the 

first say. 

An eagle was sitting on a tree 

resting, doing nothing. 

A small rabbit saw the eagle 

and asked him, ‘Can I also sit like 

you and do nothing?’ The eagle 

answered: ‘Sure, why not.’ 

So, the rabbit sat on the ground 

below the eagle and rested. All of 

a sudden, a fox appeared, jumped 

on the rabbit and ate it. 

Moral of the story: 

To be sitting and doing nothing, you 

must be sitting very, very high up. 

Lesson 3: 

A turkey was chatting with a bull. 

‘I would love to be able to get to 

the top of that tree’ sighed the 

turkey, ‘but I haven’t got the 

energy.’ 

‘Well, why don’t you nibble on 

some of my droppings?’ replied 

the bull. ‘They’re packed with 

nutrients.’ 

The turkey pecked at a 

lump of dung, and found it 

actually gave him enough 

strength to reach the lowest 

branch of the tree. 

The next day, after eating 

some more dung, he 

reached the second 

branch. 

Finally after a fourth night, 

the turkey was proudly 

perched at the top of the 

tree. 

He was promptly spotted by 

a farmer, who shot him out of 

the tree. 

Moral of the story: 

Bull Sh*t might get you to the top, 

but it won’t keep you there. 

A little bird was flying south for the 

winter. It was so cold the bird froze 

and fell to the ground into a large 

field. 

While he was lying there, a cow 

came by and dropped some dung 

on him. 

As the frozen bird lay there in the 

pile of cow dung, he began to 

realize how warm he was. 

The dung was actually thawing him 

out! 

He lay there all warm and happy, 

and soon began to sing for joy. A 

passing cat heard the bird singing 

and came to investigate. 

Following the sound, the cat 

discovered the bird under the pile 

of cow dung, and promptly dug 

him out and ate him. 

Morals of the story: 

(1) Not everyone who sh*ts on you 

is your enemy. 

(2) Not everyone who gets you 

out of sh*t is your friend. 

(3) And when you’re in deep sh*t, 

it’s best to keep your mouth 

shut! 


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The Lion King Magazine | January - March 2017

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