Group managing director/chief executive officer of United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc Kennedy Uzoka has been announced as a winner of the 2019 Zik Award for Professional Leadership.
Mr 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 award 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 Azikiwe, primarily to encourage and nurture leadership on the African continent and in the diaspora.
Uzoka and others were announced winners in a letter signed by PPRAC advisory board member Professor Pat Utomi and executive secretary Emeka Obasi, which stated that the UBA GMD 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, and Dr. Stella Okolli amongst others.
Whilst congratulating Uzoka and the UBA family, the organisers noted that the formal presentation ceremony of the Zik Prize will be a celebratory event on Sunday, December 6, 2020.
