By AAmadin Idahosa

The Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc, Kennedy Uzoka, has been announced as a winner of the 2019 Zik Award for Professional Leadership.

Uzoka clinched the much-coveted award alongside the Executive Vice Chairman/Chief Executive Officer at the Nigerian Communications Commission, Prof Umar Danbatta.

The Zik Leadership awards is organised by the Public Policy Research and Analysis Centre (PPRAC) and was instituted 25 years ago, in 1995, 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 Governor, Professor Babagana Umara Zulum; Delta State Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa; Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde; SGF, Boss Mustapha; Dr. Stella Okolli amongst others.

The PPRAC which is celebrating the silver jubilee anniversary of the Zik prize in leadership awards, pointed out that in the last 25 years, some other notable leaders have been recipients of the prize such as; President J.J. Rawlings, President Nwalimu Julius Nyerere, Dr. Salim Ahmed Salim, President Sam Nujoma, Dr. Nelson Mandela, President Yonweri Muzeveni, President John Agyekum Kuffor, Senator David Mark, Alhaji Yayale Ahmed, Otunba Subomi Balogun, President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Alhaji Ahmed Joda and Mr Godwin Emefiele.

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 6^th December, 2020.

Uzoka is a renowned African business executive, with vast experience in banking, business development, financial and business advisory, strategic planning and execution as well as human resource management. He is an advocate of disruptive technology and has led many game changing innovations in the African banking industry over the past two decades of his career.

Kennedy holds a BSc. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Benin and an MBA from the University of Lagos. He is an alumnus of the Advanced Management Program (AMP) of the Harvard Business School, Boston USA, the International Institute of Management Development (IMS) in Lausanne, Switzerland, and the London Business School, United Kingdom. Kennedy is also a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Bankers in Nigeria (CIBN).

Zhong Shanshan, the founder of the popular Chinese bottled water brand Nongfu Spring, has overtaken Alibaba (BABA) founder Jack Ma to become the country’s wealthiest person, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires index.

Zhong was already China’s third richest person after his company went public earlier this month with a blockbuster listing in Hong Kong. As of Wednesday, his estimated net worth had reached $58.7 billion, surpassing Ma’s $56.7 billion, according to Bloomberg calculations.

Zhong’s new status also puts him ahead of Pony Ma, who founded Tencent (TCEHY). Unlike Jack Ma and Pony Ma, Zhong is not a tech entrepreneur.

 Outside of his stake in Nongfu Spring, he is the head of a vaccine maker, Beijing Wantai Biological Pharmacy. That company went public in Shanghai this year, which also helped boost Zhong’s wealth.

“You would have typically expected the number one in China to come from [technology],” said Rupert Hoogewerf, chairman of wealth research firm Hurun Report.

Zhong is also known for being more low-profile and reclusive compared to other top business leaders, which has earned him the nickname “lone wolf.”

“He’s not known to have many entrepreneur friends,” said Hoogewerf, a longtime China watcher who is based in Shanghai. “He just kind of gets on with his own business.”

But even prior to his latest success, Zhong’s track record was impressive.

“Zhong Shanshan is one of the few people in China to not just build one $10 billion business, but two $10 billion businesses,” said Hoogewerf. “It’s pretty remarkable.”

TIME has named Tony O. Elumelu, one of Africa’s leading investors and philanthropists, in the 2020 TIME100, the annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world. The list, now in its seventeenth year, recognises the activism, innovation, and achievement of the world’s most influential individuals.

Elumelu is one of three Nigerians on the list, alongside Tomi Adeyemi and Tunji Funsho

Elumelu, who is one of only four Africans on the 2020 list, is recognised for his track record of business turnaround and value creation, and economic empowerment of young Africans.

Tony Elumelu is the Founder and Chairman of Heirs Holdings, his family owned investment company, committed to improving lives and transforming Africa, through long-term investments in strategic sectors of the African economy, including financial services, hospitality, power, energy and healthcare.

He is the Chairman of top pan-African financial services group, the United Bank for Africa (UBA), which operates in 20 countries in Africa, the United Kingdom, France, and is the only African bank with a commercial deposit taking licence in the United States. The bank provides corporate, commercial, SME and consumer banking services to more than 21 million customers globally. Elumelu also chairs Nigeria’s largest quoted conglomerate, Transcorp, whose subsidiaries include Transcorp Power, one of the leading generators of electricity in Nigeria and Transcorp Hotels Plc, Nigeria’s foremost hospitality brand.

Mr Elumelu is the most prominent champion of entrepreneurship in Africa. In 2010, he created The Tony Elumelu Foundation (TEF), the philanthropy empowering a new generation of African entrepreneurs, catalysing economic growth, driving poverty eradication and ensuring job creation across all 54 African countries. Since inception, the Foundation has funded just under 10,000 entrepreneurs and created a digital ecosystem of over one million as part of its ten year, US$100m commitment through the TEF

Entrepreneurship Programme. Self-funded, the Foundation is increasingly sharing its unique ability to identify, train, mentor and fund young entrepreneurs across Africa, with institutions such as the UNDP, the ICRC and leading European development agencies.

Heirs Holdings, which serves as a corporate role model for African businesses, and the Tony Elumelu Foundation will both celebrate 10 years of impact in November. Their mission continues to be inspired by Mr Elumelu’s economic philosophy of Africapitalism, which positions the private sector, and most importantly entrepreneurs, as the catalyst for the social and economic development of the continent.

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By Oshioke Maho

Minister of Transportation, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi has said that Nigeria would proceed with the Regional Maritime Development Bank Project if only the two-third of member states accept the decision reached by the Maritime Organisation of West and Central Africa(MOWCA).

Amaechi disclosed this when he declared-open the meeting of MOWCA Committee of Experts on the Regional Maritime Development Bank Project and Interim Board of Directors in Lagos, Tuesday.

The member countries of the Maritime Organization of West & Central Africa having identified the major deficit in the development of indigenous participation in the regional maritime sector and associated value chain, had via a resolution at an annual general session agreed to establish a maritime bank focused on the growth and development in West & Central Africa with a view to raising debt and equity capital of US$850,000,000.00 (Eight Hundred & Fifty Million Dollars only) and US$150,000,000.00 (One Hundred & Fifty Million Dollars only) respectively.

The Federal Government of Nigeria via the Federal Ministry of Transportation (FMOT), was then mandated to take all necessary steps to bring the Bank to actualization.

According to Amaechi, any decision reached at the end of the meeting won’t be taking to Mr. President until other member States indicate interest in writing to be part of the project which would develop the maritime sector in Africa.

“Whatever decision we reach here is subject to approval and confirmation of every member states in writing. I will not convene whatever decision reached here to the President until I have the binding of two-third of the members organisation because if we take it to the President and the President approves and every other person backs out, are we going to establish a maritime bank of Nigeria? And that is not the intention, the intention is to establish a maritime bank that cuts across West Africa and Central Africa.

” Nigeria is going to sign for being part of that meeting and we are willing to make our contributions but we will not make those contributions until the two-third of the member States have accepted the decision and have agreed on a timeline which they will make their contributions. I’m willing to participate, we can’t have just six countries passing a law on behalf of over 20 countries in the region”,he said.

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By Dino Amadin

Minister of Transportation, Rt Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi has disclosed that upon completion of the Lagos-Ibadan railway project by December, the Federal Government would immediately commence construction of the Eastern rail line which connects Port Harcourt – Bonny to Maiduguri.

Amaechi said the planned commencement is subject to approval by the Federal Executive Council, while listing other projects in line for commencement. They include, the Kano/Maradi line and the Ibadan to Kano section of the Lagos to Kano rail line.

The Minister stated this in Ibadan Wednesday, shortly after inspecting the level of work on all the Stations across the Lagos-Ibadan railway project which is being undertaken by the CCECC.

He said, ” We have sent to the cabinet the request for approval of two railway contracts, Port Harcourt – Bonny to Maiduguri. If that is awarded, that will be the next assignment for the Ministry of Transport. Also the Kano – Maradi line, which passes through Kano, Dutse, Kazaure, Daura, Katsina, Jibiya, Maradi.

“We are also pursuing the loan for the contract which has been awarded for the Lagos to Calabar rail line. We also expect that Ibadan to Kano will commence before the end of this year,” Amaechi said.

On the Lagos-Ibadan railway project, he noted that much work has not been done on the Apapa station because the building of the station just commenced, “but I want them to finish all the stations at same time. And I have insisted that a special taskforce be set up to make sure Apapa station is completed same time as all the others. If you see the station at Olodo, there are improvements, they finished flooring, roofing, lighting, ceilings; just doors and windows left. Again, what is left at Kajola is just painting. There is improvement in Olodo and Ebute-metta.

“The only station in which I am not satisfied is this last station in Ibadan. However, they have given us the following targets: End of September, three stations will be ready; end of October, all the seven minor stations will be ready; end of December, everything will be ready,” he said.

Amaechi also disclosed that the contractors were expecting more engineers on site to speed up construction.

Hear him, “The timeline hasn’t changed, but they didn’t meet my target for this inspection, my target was that by today (September 15), they would have finished the minor stations, but they gave an excuse that because of Covid they hadn’t enough engineers on site. What you have is the same engineers supervising Agbado and Agege, so they move in between and that is slowing down the work.

“As for me, I want this job done because I want to move out of Lagos. Their submission is that by next week, all engineers will be on site and work will commence and once work commences, they will be faster and by the end of September, they should finish the three major stations.”

Reacting to the accident that occurred in Oshodi on Monday, Amaechi said the Ministry would collaborate with the Lagos State government to ensure fencing of the tracks, which he said has already began in some parts to avert such incidents.

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Sola Yomi-Ajayi, the CEO of the United Bank for Africa(UBA)’s operations in the United States, has been appointed to the Export-Import Bank of the United States (US EXIM) Committee on Sub-Saharan Africa for 2020/2021.  Established by the US Congress, the Sub-Saharan Africa Advisory Committee provides guidance and advice regarding US EXIM policies and programmes designed to support the expansion of financing for US manufactured goods and services in Sub-Saharan Africa.

The committee is composed of prominent members of the US business community and Ms. Yomi-Ajayi is the sole representative of an African institution.  UBA USA is the only Sub-Saharan African deposit-taking institution regulated in the United States and provides a unique portfolio of banking solutions to corporates, governments, multilaterals, and development organisations transacting with Africa.  UBA USA can assist in trade finance, treasury, foreign exchange, transaction management and lending, drawing on UBA’s seventy-year heritage and unique pan-African network.

UBA’s Group Chairman, Tony O. Elumelu, stated that the appointment is recognition of the role UBA has played over decades in promoting and supporting large and small businesses in all its 20 countries of operations in Africa.

“The appointment of Sola, as a member of the US EXIM Advisory Committee for Sub-Saharan Africa is welcome news.  UBA’s global network of offices in New York, London and Paris, permits us to be the preferred financial intermediary between Africa and the rest of the world.  Our mission at UBA is fully aligned with the objectives of the US EXIM’.

The EXIM President and Chairman, Kimberly A. Reed, who congratulated Yomi-Ajayi and the other appointees said, “With six of the 10 fastest-growing economies in the world and more than one billion consumers, Africa is poised to play a pivotal role in the global economy.  Supporting US exports to sub-Saharan Africa is one of our top priorities at EXIM, and my deepest congratulations goes to the new members of the EXIM Sub-Saharan Africa Advisory Committee”.

Others appointed into the committee are Daniel Runde, who chairs the committee, C. Derek Campbell, Chief Executive Officer, Energy and Natural Resource Security, Inc; Scott Eisner, Senior Vice President, African Affairs, U.S. Chamber of Commerce; Rebecca Enonchong, Founder and Chief Executive Officer AppsTech; Lori Helmers, Executive Director/Americas Export Finance Head, JPMorgan Chase Bank; Florizelle Liser, President and Chief Executive Officer, Corporate Council on Africa; Mima Nedelcovych, Chairman, AfricaGlobal Schaffer; EE Okpa, Principal, The OKPA Co; Marise Duff Stewart, Director Customer and Industry Relations, Progress Rail, a Caterpillar Company and Paul Sullivan, President – International Business, Acrow Bridge.

EXIM is an independent federal agency that promotes and supports American jobs by providing competitive and necessary export credit to support sales of U.S. goods and services to international buyers.