Business
FirstBank Appoints Alhaji Ado Yakubu Wanka as Non-Executive Director
First Bank of Nigeria Limited, Nigeria’s premier and leading financial services provider, today announced the appointment of Alhaji Ado Yakubu Wanka as Non-Executive Director.
Speaking on his appointment, Dr. Adesola Adeduntan, Chief Executive Officer, First Bank of Nigeria Limited said, “We are delighted to welcome Alhaji Ado Yakubu Wanka, to the FirstBank Board. We are especially excited that he is bringing a combination of complementary skills and rich experience to the table which will no doubt enhance the quality of governance towards meeting our strategic goals.
Alhaji Ado Yakubu Wanka attended Government Secondary School, Bauchi (1966 – 1970), Federal School of Science, Lagos (1971 – 1973), holds a B.Sc. in Chemical Engineering from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria (1973 – 1977) and an MBA from the same institution (1982 –1984). He is also an alumnus of the Harvard Business School and Switzerland’s Institute of Management Development, Lousanne. Alhaji Wanka served in the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) as a graduate assistant with the Department of Chemical Engineering, Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile Ife. Thereafter, he started his managerial career as a young process engineer with Ashaka Cement Company Plc where he rose to the position of Deputy Production Manager
After completion of his MBA degree, Alhaji Wanka acquired further managerial competence during his stay with the Northern Nigeria Development Company (NNDC), Kaduna. During the period, he participated actively in new business development and monitoring of NNDC’s quoted and unquoted investments and left as Principal Investment Executive.
Alhaji Wanka began his banking career in April 1988 with the then Nigerian International Bank (Citibank Nigeria) where he served for six months as Deputy Manager. He was with the FSB International Bank Plc from 1991 to 1997 and rose to become Executive Director. He assumed duty as the MD/CEO of the then Gamji Bank Limited in 1997, moved to First Bank of Nigeria Plc in 1998 as Executive Director, where he spent about eight (8) years. In between his banking career, Alhaji Wanka spent three years in the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) – September 1988 to April 1991 – where he was Acting Head, New business Development Unit and later Head, Strategic Planning Unit of the Corporation.
With experience in Corporate and Investment Banking, he served in various capacities in other organisations, most notably as Executive Director, Finance and Administration and also, Chairman of the Board of the Nigeria and Sao Tome Joint Development Authority (an agency which oversees the commercial exploration of mineral resources in the Joint Development Zone covering the overlapping maritime boundary between Nigeria and Sao tome & Principe).
Alhaji Wanka joined Unity Bank in March 2008 as a Group Executive Director, initially in charge of Retail Banking and later Risk Management & Control Directorates. He retired in August 2013, after serving as the Bank’s Managing Director for two (2) years.
Alhaji Wanka is currently the Chairman, APT Securities and Funds, APT Pension Fund Managers and Director, Arewa Metal Containers (ARMECO) Ltd.
Alhaji Wanka is a fellow of Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN); Nigerian Institute of Management (Chartered) (NIM); Nigerian Society of Chemical Engineers (NSCHE); Institute of Chartered Management Accountants (ICMA) and Institute of Credit Administration (ICA). He is also an Honorary Fellow of the Nigerian Chemical Society and a member of the Institute of Directors (IoD).
As the world celebrates International Women’s Day 2025, Africa’s Global Bank, United Bank for Africa (UBA) continues to reinforce its unwavering commitment to gender diversity, equality, and empowerment.
This year’s IWD global theme, “Accelerate Action”, aligns perfectly with UBA’s drive to champion inclusion and create meaningful opportunities for women in the workplace.
On Wednesday, the bank graduated its latest cohort of 1,138 Graduate Management Accelerated Programme (GMAP) trainees, out of which 666, representing an impressive 58% were women.
UBA’s Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Oliver Alawuba, who pointed this out during the graduation ceremony which was held in Landmark Event Centre, said the milestone is a testament to UBA’s continued efforts in fostering a workplace where talent thrives – regardless of gender, background, or status.
He maintained that UBA stands out as a financial institution that does not just talk about inclusion but lives it, adding that “With a female-dominated Board and Executive Management team, UBA has consistently demonstrated that gender parity is a key pillar of its success. Our commitment goes beyond policies – it is evident in the tangible opportunities we create for women at every level of the organisation.”
While celebrating the womenfolk for their contribution to the bank’s growth and success over the year, Alawuba stated “At UBA, we do not just celebrate women- we amplify them. We believe that an inclusive workforce drives innovation, excellence, and long-term success. The fact that the majority of our new graduate trainees are women underscores our commitment to nurturing female talent and accelerating their progress in the corporate world.”
UBA has long been a champion of gender empowerment, investing in initiatives that support female professionals, entrepreneurs, and communities. From its mentorship and leadership programs to its women-focused financial services, the bank continues to set the pace for gender inclusion in Africa’s financial sector.
UBA’s Group Head, Human Resources, Modupe Akindele explained that the bank is passionate about helping its staff grow, regardless of their gender. According to her, UBA celebrates the resilience, strength, and contributions of women everywhere and remains committed to ensuring that every woman has the support, resources, and opportunities needed to thrive.
She said, “Our goal with GMAP is to show young professionals that their dreams are valid right here in Africa. We are not just providing jobs; we are creating pathways to leadership, innovation, and impact. This programme ensures that young people whether male or female, see the immense possibilities that exist within UBA and the African financial sector at large.”
United Bank for Africa is one of the largest employers in the financial sector on the African continent, with 25,000 employees group wide and serving over 45 million customers globally. Operating in twenty African countries and the United Kingdom, the United States of America, France and the United Arab Emirates, UBA provides retail, commercial and institutional banking services, leading financial inclusion and implementing cutting edge technology.
Bulk Data service from Globacom has continued to garner patronage from more enterprise clients across the country owing to its immense benefits.
With the offering, Glo Enterprise users can gift data to other customers with the Bulk Data offering, a self-service site designed for data allocation. Through it, a specific quantity of data can be freely utilized for specific users’ navigation of a mobile application or website at no cost to the users of the application or website. The service is paid for by the enterprise client.
A school’s bucket data plan allows institutions to buy bulk data for students’ instructional purposes. The Plan is good for ninety days. In contrast, the Gifted Data Plan is good for 30 days. As many Glo subscribers as the sponsor desires may receive data gifts from the Bulk Data sponsor.
Depending on which Pack the gifting customer has subscribed to, a sponsor can equally gift data in 200MB, 500MB, 1GB, 2GB, 3GB, 4GB, 5GB, or 10GB amounts.
Globacom has built the solution so that each sponsor can tailor the SMS notification that is sent to the beneficiary regarding the provided data. This sets this product apart from others available on the market.
While the recipients of the Bulk Data giving can check their own balance by dialing the USSD code, *127*0#, on their own devices, the gifted plans can be tailored to the sponsor’s requirements and preferences.
Only businesses that purchase large quantities of data, including corporations and educational institutions, are eligible for the Bulk Data service.
Africa’s Global Bank, United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc, continues to make significant impact in birthing the next generation of banking and finance professionals on the continent through its Graduate Management Acceleration Programme (GMAP) which to date has produced over 3,222 young professionals across Africa.
Since inception three years ago, the GMAP, designed to equip entrants with the necessary skills and knowledge, has provided mentorship, training, and hands-on experience to young graduates for leadership roles in UBA.
On Wednesday, a ceremony was held at the Landmark Event Centre to induct another cohort of 1,138 successful graduates who were absorbed by the bank following intensive training spanning several months of rigorous learning, testing the entrants’ dedication and resilience.
The momentous ceremony was graced by the UBA Group Chairman, Tony Elumelu, the Group Managing Director/ CEO, Oliver Alawuba, and other Board Members, Executive Management, faculty members, mentors, families, and friends of the graduates.
Elumelu, who expressed his excitement over the new graduates, highlighted the bank’s passion for youth empowerment in Africa while bridging the unemployment gap, which according to him, remains one of the greatest challenges in the continent,
He said, “At UBA, we believe that Africa’s transformation is in the hands of young, dynamic, and ambitious professionals such as you. Through GMAP, we are not only shaping future leaders but also reinforcing our commitment to excellence and impact. To our graduands, remember that success is built on hard work, resilience, and a commitment to continuous learning. The world is waiting for you to make your mark.”
Speaking earlier at the event, UBA’s Group Managing Director/CEO, Oliver Alawuba, expressed immense pride in the graduands and reiterated the bank’s unwavering commitment to human capital development.
“This moment marks the beginning of a transformational journey that will shape your careers, your contributions to society, and Africa at large. The GMAP is a testament to our vision of empowering the brightest minds with the skills, knowledge, and mind-set required to navigate the ever-evolving financial landscape,” Alawuba stated.
He pointed out UBA’s commitment to gender diversity and inclusion, highlighting that of the fresh 1,138 graduands, 666 (representing 58%) are women, a reflection of the bank’s dedication to fostering an equitable and inclusive workplace.
Encouraging the graduands, Alawuba charged them to uphold UBA’s core values of Excellence, Enterprise, and Execution, while embracing the bank’s Persona of Simplicity, Responsiveness, and Goal-oriented (SRG).
The ceremony featured inspiring testimonies from GMAP alumni who have made significant strides within the bank.
United Bank for Africa is one of the largest employers in the financial sector on the African continent, with 25,000 employees group wide and serving over 45 million customers globally. Operating in twenty African countries and the United Kingdom, the United States of America, France and the United Arab Emirates, UBA provides retail, commercial and institutional banking services, leading financial inclusion and implementing cutting-edgetechnology.
