The group managing director and chief executive of United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc, Kennedy Uzoka, alongside the executive vice chairman and chief executive at the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Prof Umar Danbatta have been named the winner of the 2019 Zik Award for Professional Leadership.
The Zik Leadership awards is organised by the Public Policy Research and Analysis Centre (PPRAC) and was instituted 25 years ago, in honour of the first President of Nigeria, Late Dr Nnamdi Azikwe, primarily to encourage and nurture leadership on the African Continent and in the Diaspora.
The UBA GMD and others were announced winners in a letter signed by the Member advisory board, PPRAC, Professor Pat Utomi, and executive secretary, Emeka Obasi, which stated that Uzoka was chosen as a result of his outstanding contributions to the development and growth of the Banking and Financial Services Industry and unblemished record of service as a banker of international repute.
The letter read, “The GMD/CEO, of Africa’s global bank, UBA Plc, Mr Kennedy Uzoka is a banker’s banker and an astute player in the Nigerian financial services sector. He has consistently led the Bank to set a year-on-year track record of profitability, wealth creation and innovative financial products across its operations in the African continent despite global economic challenges.
Continuing, it said, “Kennedy Uzoka continues to lead his team in chalking newer and higher credits by the day. Not even the current challenge of COVID-19 has been a dampener as the bank under his watch continues to scale new frontiers and post assuring results.”
Apart from Uzoka and Danbatta, other winners in various categories of public service, good governance, business, and professional leadership included Senate President Ahmed Lawan; Borno State governor, Professor Babagana Umara Zulum; Delta State governor, Ifeanyi Okowa; Oyo State governor, Seyi Makinde; SGF, Boss Mustapha; Dr Stella Okolli amongst others.
Whilst congratulating Uzoka and the UBA family, the organisers noted that the formal presentation ceremony of The Zik Prize awards will be a celebratory event to be held on Sunday 6th December, 2020.